{"id":346464,"date":"2011-03-29T04:22:24","date_gmt":"2011-03-29T04:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/29\/blazers-extend-depleted-spurs-skid-to-4-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-03-29T04:22:24","modified_gmt":"2011-03-29T04:22:24","slug":"blazers-extend-depleted-spurs-skid-to-4-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/29\/blazers-extend-depleted-spurs-skid-to-4-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Blazers extend depleted Spurs’ skid to 4 (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SAN ANTONIO (AP)\u2014The Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> knew they caught a break: Tim
\nDuncan<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> and Manu Ginobili<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> were too hurt to play, and Tony Parker<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> was a surprise
\nlate scratch, too.<\/p>\n

Portland took advantage. Yet, it still wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

Andre Miller<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> scored 26 points and the Blazers, who trailed late despite San
\nAntonio playing without four starters, rallied in the final minutes to hand the
\nslumping and banged-up Spurs their fourth consecutive loss, 100-92 on Monday
\nnight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a trap game once we got to the arena,\u201d Blazers coach Nate McMillan
\nsaid.<\/p>\n

The Blazers beat the NBA\u2019s winningest team for the second time in three
\ndays, this time with Parker, Ginobili, Duncan and Antonio McDyess<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> all sidelined.
\nParker (left knee contusion) is the most likely to be back Thursday against
\nBoston, and McDyess (back) could also play after the 36-year-old essentially got
\nthe night off to rest for the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Duncan (ankle sprain) and Ginobili (left quad contusion) are the question
\nmarks. Ginobili, who left Sunday\u2019s loss at Memphis early after being hurt, said
\nhe felt \u201cmuch better\u201d while jogging past reporters before the game. But his
\nstatus and Duncan\u2019s remain unknown.<\/p>\n

Gerald Wallace<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> added 14 points for Portland and hit a crucial 3-pointer with
\n2:02 left, capping a quick 7-0 burst that put the Blazers back ahead. It was the
\nfinishing touch on a 15-1 run after letting the undermanned Spurs lead by as
\nmuch as eight in the fourth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ain\u2019t going to throw it out, because if we would have lost, we would\u2019ve
\nlooked back like they didn\u2019t have their players and that was a game we needed,\u201d
\nMiller said. \u201cSo we\u2019re trying to finish off and get some momentum going into
\nthe playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also needed it to help their playoff jockeying. The Blazers (43-31)
\nkept their hold on sixth place and are 1 1\/2 games behind Denver for fifth.<\/p>\n

The Spurs, meanwhile, are slipping.<\/p>\n

George Hill<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> led San Antonio with 27 points. The Spurs are on their longest
\nslide all season, and their once-commanding lead in the West is shrinking with
\nthe Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> surging.<\/p>\n

San Antonio had a seven-game lead over the Lakers a week ago. But after the
\nSpurs lost on all three stops on a road trip, and returned home to host the
\nBlazers short-handed, the Lakers trail by just 3 1\/2 games.<\/p>\n

The Spurs (57-17) have eight games left.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s life. You have to deal with it and figure out how to get better,\u201d
\nHill said. \u201cNo one\u2019s hanging their head or thinking we\u2019re not as good as we\u2019ve
\nbeen all year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wesley Matthews<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> scored 19 points, and Nicolas Batum<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 10 points and 13
\nrebounds for the Blazers. Portland led throughout the first half, but lost the
\nlead late in the third quarter when Danny Green<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> hit a 3-pointer.<\/p>\n

Green\u2014who had played all of 14 minutes this season\u2014followed by stealing
\nthe ball from Brandon Roy<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> and coasting in for a wide-open dunk. After trailing
\nby seven at halftime, the Spurs entered the fourth quarter ahead 72-67.<\/p>\n

But Portland pulled together. Miller scored 11 points in the fourth while
\nthe Spurs missed seven of 10 3-point attempts, shooting themselves out of the
\ngame.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we could have added a little bit of (shooting) to the competitiveness
\nand heart they showed, we would have been in great shape,\u201d Popovich said.<\/p>\n

Rookie Tiago Splitter<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> starting again in place of Duncan, added 14 points
\nfor the Spurs.<\/p>\n

Popovich wouldn\u2019t guess when Duncan or Ginobili might return. Sitting
\nMcDyess, meanwhile, was just playing it safe with the playoffs imminent.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoney time is approaching,\u201d Popovich said before the game.<\/p>\n

Notes: Former Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> coach Mike Brown and assistant Hank Egan,
\nboth former Spurs assistants, attended the game. \u2026 The Blazers won the season
\nseries 3-1. \u2026 The Spurs lost for only the fourth time at home this season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Visit site:
\nBlazers extend depleted Spurs’ skid to 4 (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO (AP)\u2014The Portland Trail Blazers knew they caught a break: Tim Duncan (notes) and Manu Ginobili (notes) were too hurt to play, and Tony Parker (notes) was a surprise late scratch, too. Portland took advantage. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-346464","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\nBlazers extend depleted Spurs' skid to 4 (AP) - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/29\/blazers-extend-depleted-spurs-skid-to-4-ap\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Blazers extend depleted Spurs' skid to 4 (AP) - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"SAN ANTONIO (AP)\u2014The Portland Trail Blazers knew they caught a break: Tim Duncan (notes) and Manu Ginobili (notes) were too hurt to play, and Tony Parker (notes) was a surprise late scratch, too. 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