Suns fans who have already seen enough of the Spurs won't like the highlights of Phoenix's schedule this season.

Phoenix not only opens the regular season in San Antonio -- against the Spurs team that ended their season for the third time in the last four years last April -- but those Grinches will pop up at US Airways Center for a Christmas Day matinee, Phoenix's first home game on Christmas since 1996.

The Suns-Spurs season opener is the first of 20 nationally broadcast Suns games.

The Suns have 19 sets of back-to-back games -- two more than last year and the most in recent memory -- but play an incredibly balance schedule from a travel standpoint.

Phoenix has two games in October (one home, one road), 16 in November (eight home, eight road), 12 in December (six home, six road), 15 in January (eight on the road, seven at home), 13 in February (seven home, six road), 16 in March (eight home, eight road) and eight in April (four home, four road).

The opener in San Antonio is the start of a tough week for new Suns coach Terry Porter. The New Orleans Hornets will be waiting for them at home the next night (Oct. 30), the only Phoenix appearance by Chris Paul and company all year. Then two nights later on Nov. 1, the Portland Trail Blazers are in Phoenix -- featuring first-round pick and Vegas Summer League sensation Jerryd Bayless in his first hometown visit.

The NBA All-Star Weekend is also in Phoenix this year (Feb. 13-15), with All-Star Saturday on Valentines Day and the All-Star Game on Feb. 15.

The Suns play only three games against four Western Conference foes -- Denver and Houston (only one road game) and New Orleans and Minnesota (only one home game).

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