Spurs put Duncan on injured list

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Tim Duncan was put on the injured list by the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, two days after the two-time NBA MVP injured his leg in a loss to Dallas.

The team said Duncan had an irritation of the left patellofemoral joint, where the thigh bone meets the knee.

Duncan is averaging a team-leading 23.2 points and 13 rebounds in 54 games.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said his team would be ready for Saturday night's game against Denver.

``They played without him and Tony (Parker) both at the beginning of the season,'' Popovich said. ``If they play as well as they did then, I'll be thrilled.''

The Spurs are 1-3 without Duncan this season, and 7-11 in his seven-year career.

The team had already ruled Duncan out for the Nuggets game and said his condition would be re-evaluated next week.

Duncan limped to the bench midway through the third quarter of the Spurs' 115-91 loss to the Mavericks on Thursday night. San Antonio trailed by nine points at the time and went on to its most lopsided loss of the season. Duncan had 22 points and 17 rebounds in 25 minutes.

He had surgery on his left knee in May 2000 after suffering a torn lateral meniscus. Popovich said Duncan has been diligent about maintaining strength in that knee.

The Spurs did not immediately replace Duncan on the active roster. If the team activated another player, he would have to sit out at least five games.

Via Associated Press

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Blazers trying to keep Playoff streak alive

For the past 21 years, the Portland Trail Blazers have been part of the NBA playoffs.

Thanks to their recent surge - and general manager John Nash's remaking of the roster - the Blazers have a chance to match the league record for postseason perennials.

The mark of 22 consecutive playoff appearances was set by the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers franchise from 1949-40 to 1970-71.

The Utah Jazz also are closing in on that mark, but their streak of 20 straight playoff appearances is in serious jeopardy. Portland, however, has moved within striking range of the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.

``We have to put pressure on these teams. It's certainly a goal,'' Nash said Thursday night in a telephone interview.

Nash has been one of the league's busiest executives this season, pulling off three major trades.

Nash's first deal _ Bonzi Wells to Memphis for Wesley Person _ was widely panned. His next two trades _ Jeff McInnis to Cleveland for Darius Miles, and Rasheed Wallace and Person to Atlanta for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau _ drew more praise.

``I wish we would have had more time to balance off the roster,'' said Nash, whose deals left the Blazers with voids in backcourt depth and outside shooting. Nonetheless, the acquisitions addressed some of the Blazers' long-standing weaknesses.

``Theo automatically makes you a good defensive team, and we were one of the worst defensive teams in the league before his arrival. He's been a major factor,'' Nash said.

Ratliff tied a franchise record with nine blocks Tuesday night against Orlando.

Abdur-Rahim had been coming off the bench behind Miles before moving into the starting lineup and playing 43 minutes against the Magic.

``He brings an attitude of doing whatever it takes to win,'' Nash said. ``Some players of his stature would have groused about not starting, but his is a classy professional attitude.''

Nash said he had been discussing separate trades with the Hawks for Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff, reaching a breakthrough two weeks ago when he and Atlanta general manager Billy Knight combined the two deals.

Since taking over as general manager last summer, Nash has vowed to change the team culture by ridding the Blazers of players with negative attitudes. His deals have gone a long way toward reaching that goal, and an unexpected benefit could be reaching the postseason.

``Most people have responded positively. They like the excitement of Darius Miles, they like the idea we have defensive presence, and they like that Shareef is a steadying influence,'' Nash said.

The Blazers have already lost the season series to the Nuggets, costing them a tiebreaker if they finish with the same record as Denver. Portland was 1-1 against Houston entering Friday night's game against the Rockets, who began the weekend in seventh place in the West _ four games ahead of Portland.

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HOME SWEET HOME:@ Forgive the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers if they seem a little exhausted. A month on the road, give or take a few days, will do that.

The Spurs didn't play their first home game of February until last Tuesday, getting kicked out of their arena while it played host to the rodeo.

San Antonio played seven consecutive road games and won six, mimicking its success of a year ago when a nine-game, rodeo-forced trip jump-started San Antonio's title run. (They went 8-1).

Beginning with Saturday night's game against Denver, the Spurs will play 12 of their next 17 at home as they try to make up ground on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Midwest Division.

The Clippers, meanwhile, played just their second home game of the month Friday night when they hosted the Knicks. Los Angeles was forced out of the Staples Center by the Grammy Awards and the All-Star game.

The Clippers' 99-93 loss at New Orleans wrapped up a string of 13 games in 13 cities, and they played the role of the exhausted vagabond well. After not committing a turnover in the first half, the Clippers had 13 in the final 24 minutes.

``It's hard,'' coach Mike Dunleavy said. ``I just keep saying, `Hey, they're young and they'll learn.' We get so close, we get so many opportunities. I'm just hoping as I keep pounding it in and keep teaching that certain things stick better.''

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PRO-READY PREPSTERS?: Dwight Howard of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and Sebastian Telfair of Lincoln H.S. in Brooklyn, N.Y. made the Eastern squad for the McDonald's All-America game, while teammates Joe Crawford and Malik Hairston of Detroit Renaissance H.S. made the West team.

Howard and Telfair are widely expected to enter this June's NBA draft, as are McDonald's All-Americans Josh Smith (Oak Hill Academy) and Shaun Livingston (Peoria Central H.S.).

Slam Magazine senior editor Ryan Jones was spotted at All-Star weekend wearing Livingston's Peoria jersey, perhaps signaling a trend toward throw-forward gear instead of throwback stuff.

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HAITIAN HOMELAND:@ Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert is worried about his grandmother, who was his primary caregiver in Haiti after Dalembert's parents left that country and emigrated to Canada.

Hypromene Charle, 72, lives in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, which could be attacked by rebels if President Jean-Bertrand Aristide does not resign.

``When I talk to her after a game, I feel better,'' Dalembert told reporters in Philadelphia. ``She tells me, `Oh, don't worry about it. Everything's fine.' But the main thing I'm thinking is, I know how crazy it is (in Haiti). When I was little, I saw things happen. I saw crazy stuff going on. I can imagine how it is right now.''

Via Associated Press

Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers

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Spurs await extent of Duncan's injury

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Tim Duncan will miss at least one game for the San Antonio Spurs after injuring his left thigh during Thursday night's loss at Dallas.

A medical exam on Friday determined that Duncan has an irritation of the patellofemoral joint, the area where the thigh bone meets the kneecap, the team said in a brief written statement. He will not play Saturday night at home against Denver, and his condition will be re-evaluated next week.

``Obviously it's good news,'' Spurs spokesman Tom James said of the diagnosis. ``It's short-term, rather than long-term.''

Duncan hobbled to the bench midway through the third quarter of the Spurs' 115-91 loss to the Mavericks on Thursday night. At the time, San Antonio trailed by nine points before going on to its most lopsided loss of the season.

In 25 minutes, Duncan had 22 points and 17 rebounds. After the game his only comment was, ``I don't know what happened.''

The NBA's two-time MVP did not practice Friday and he did not speak to reporters.

Injuries to the patellofemural joint are common among athletes, and are frequently due to chronic wear and tear.

Teammate Malik Rose said he and other Spurs are prepared to step up if Duncan has to sit out a number of games to recuperate.

``Tim's one of the toughest guys in the league,'' said Rose, who got some of Duncan's minutes Thursday and finished with 12 points. ``He won't miss much time, but in the meantime we have to be a collective Band-Aid for him.''

Saturday's game against Denver is the start of a four-game homestand that ends with a rematch against Dallas on March 5.

The Spurs also released guard Ron Mercer on Friday and activated point guard Jason Hart from the injured list.

Mercer, a proven scorer, was acquired from Indiana in a three-team trade in the offseason, but was used sparingly. Popovich said the release would allow him to catch on with another team before March 1, the deadline for eligibility for the playoffs.

Mercer averaged 5.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 39 games for the Spurs.

Via Associated Press

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