Oh yeah, THAT'S why Shaq's a Sun.....

Finally, some vindication on Planet Orange.

After what seemed like 312 games against the Spurs in which Nash and Co. came up just short against Timmay, Tony Longoria, and Gonzo Ginobili, Shaq and the Suns swatted away Los Sucios de San Antonio and all is right in the Valley.

For a couple days.

Next time they lose, every Valley Chicagoan masquerading as a Suns fan will pile on Shaq, Kerr, D'antoni, and anyone else they judge to be guilty of spoiling their ride on the bandwagon.

But that's okay. Is the weather fair enough for you right now?

Everyone knows Kerr brought in Shaq to deal with Duncan and deal with him, he did. 6-19, below 33 FG%. Maybe some of those geniuses at ESPN.com (I won't name names, but his rhymes with Schmollinger) need to relax and give them more time.

What was perhaps most refreshing about this win was how they won the game. Typical Suns fashion is to race to a big lead and desperately hold on at the end while the other team mounts a furious rally. Inevitably the game ends with the other team missing a potential game-winning jumper.

Not last night. The Spurs took a lead with a few minutes left and the Suns dug in their heels. They tightened up their defense. They ran their offense and got open shots. They rebounded. The Spurs got a shot of their own medicine over the final few minutes as they got gradually got squeezed by the Orange.

This win isn't season-defining. It's not one for the ages. It's simply a glimpse into the possibilities.

Let this group mesh. It's like Nash said, you can't reach adulthood without going through puberty. Hopefully the recent slump was just the acne and voice cracks of a team ready to grow up and plow through the West like Tony Montana through......well, never mind.