PHOENIX, Feb. 24 (Ticker) -- Stephon Marbury had a season-high 36 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Phoenix Suns snapped a three-game home losing streak with a 92-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

After Tony Parker hit an 18-foot jumper with 3:38 left in the first quarter to get San Antonio within 20-15, the Suns closed the quarter on a 12-0 run that was capped by a jumper by Marbury with 20 seconds left.

Marbury outscored San Antonio in the period, 16-15, en route to the highest point total by a Suns player this season.

NBA TV highlights from Spurs-Suns: 56k | 300k Stephon Marbury's fearless performance lifted the Suns to a needed home win. Barry Gossage NBAE/Getty Images

"I just had it going tonight," Marbury said. "We were playing really aggressive and I was just taking what they were giving me."

Shawn Marion had 17 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Joe Johnson, in his third game with the Suns and first in Phoenix, had 15, eight rebounds and six assists.

Phoenix shot 46 percent (36-of-78) and limited San Antonio to 41 percent (32-of-78), including just 13 percent from the arc (2-of-15).

"We had a good win tonight," Marion said. "Everybody contributed really well tonight. We outrebounded them tonight big time, and I think that's going to help us. That's what we've been having a problem with all year, rebounding. We rebounded well, played good defense and we led the whole game."

The Suns outrebounded the Spurs, 46-33, despite Tim Duncan and David Robinson combining for 21 boards.

Marbury and Johnson, Phoenix's starting guards, outscored their Spurs counterparts, Parker and Charles Smith, 51-5.

"It was great for me and Milt Palacio, basically a homecoming," said Johnson, who was traded with Palacio from Boston to Phoenix last week. "We came out and played hard, played aggressive and we got a win."

"I've had him three games, and I like everything I see about him," Suns coach Frank Johnson said. "He has composure, he doesn't seem to get rattled regardless of the situation and he knows he makes basketball plays."

Robinson had 25 points and eight rebounds, Tim Duncan 21 and 13, and Steve Smith 20 for the Spurs, whose only lead was 2-0.

"Obviously they were playing well, but we didn't do the things we needed to do, especially in the early part of the game," Robinson said. "We came out real sluggish and made some dumb mistakes. It's almost like it was a carryover from last night (a 112-88 loss to Minnesota)."

"I thought Phoenix did a great job of competing for 48 minutes," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They played hard for the entire time and they deserve to win. I don't think we did the same."

Phoenix, which had lost three straight to San Antonio and five of six overall, twice had leads reduced to three points in the final four minutes, but Marbury answered with a running jumper and a pair of free throws, respectively. Marbury's pair from the line gave the Suns an 86-81 lead with 1:53 left, and the Spurs got no closer.

"We played well down the stretch," Marbury said. "We wanted the game more than they did. ... If we play like that all the time, we'll win a lot more games."

The teams play the back end of their home-and-home series in San Antonio on Tuesday.

"What was good is that Steph was outstanding, so was Shawn Marion, so was Tom Gugliotta, so was Jake (Tsakalidis)," said Suns coach Frank Johnson, who won his first home game since taking over the team last Sunday after Scott Skiles resigned. "If we play like this, play with that emotion, play with that heart, you know we'll win a lot of ball games."

The victory was the 1,500th in Suns history. Phoenix took 2,729 games to reach the plateau, the fourth-fastest of the 12 teams to accomplish the feat.

"I think it's important for us to find out how important winning is to the group that we have this season," Popovich said. "Not competing and making it important were huge factors and that's a big step backward in my mind, and I'm very disappointed. So I'm very anxious to see what comes out of our locker room leadership-wise and see how these guys come together and decide just how good a team they want to be."