Spurs topple Portland as Duncan sits

[February 26, 2009]  SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- With Tim Duncan sidelined for the second straight game, Tony Parker scored 39 points and the Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers for an 11th consecutive time in San Antonio, 99-84 Wednesday night.

Parker carried the Spurs again without Duncan, who is day to day with a right leg injury. Between Parker's 37 points Tuesday and Wednesday's encore, Parker combined for 76 in back-to-back games without Duncan or Manu Ginobili healthy.

Channing Frye scored 15 for Portland, whose losing string in San Antonio dates to 2002. The Trail Blazers also dropped their fifth straight road game, and have another in Minnesota on Friday before returning home.

Matt Bonner added 15 points for San Antonio, which has won four straight.

Duncan was diagnosed earlier Wednesday with right quad tendonosis, a day after he was scratched from the starting lineup shortly before Tuesday's win over Dallas.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich doesn't know whether his perennial All-Star would play Friday against LeBron James and Cleveland in the first meeting between the elite teams. Popovich said Duncan felt better Wednesday, but added the injury was severe enough that Duncan would have sat Tuesday even if it was the playoffs.

Portland was also without its big man, Greg Oden, who missed his fifth straight game with a bone chip in his left knee. The Trail Blazers hope the 7-footer will be able to work out Thursday.

Brandon Roy had 14 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 13 for the Trail Blazers.

Parker sped and spun his way toward the basket for much of the game, but drew the biggest cheers when he raced upcourt to sink a running 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter. That stretched the lead to 11, but Portland wasn't done yet.

The Trail Blazers closed the gap to four in the fourth quarter on Travis Outlaw's jumper from the top of the key with 5 minutes left. Bonner answered right back with his third 3-pointer of the night, and Parker scored on three of the next four possessions to extend the lead to nine with 2:41 left.

Parker's last basket in the run was a high-arching jumper buried right in front of Portland coach Nate McMillan, who immediately took his hand off his hips and called a timeout.

Parker finished 17-of-27 from the floor and scored 30 points in consecutive games for the first time this season. The Spurs held Portland to 37.6 percent shooting and improved to 10-0 when holding opponents below 40 percent.

Tempers briefly flared in the third quarter when Spurs forward Fabrico Oberto and Portland guard Steve Blake tangled up before officials rushed in to separate them. Both were hit with technical fouls.

Ginobili, who hasn't played since the All-Star break because of a stress reaction in his right ankle, is expected to be out at least another week.

Notes: Oberto broke his left thumb in Tuesday's win over the Mavericks but still played Wednesday. He had two points and four rebounds in 25 minutes. ... The Spurs signed forward Pops Menah-Bonsu to a 10-day contract before Wednesday's game. The 25-year-old was already on his way to San Antonio before Duncan got hurt.

[Associated Press; By PAUL J. WEBER]

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