SEATTLE -- David Robinson returned to practice with the Spurs in San Antonio and Rashard Lewis of the Seattle SuperSonics got some more bad news about his injured left shoulder.

	Robinson

The Spurs, who beat the Sonics 102-75 Saturday in Seattle, have a 2-1 lead in their first-round, best-of-five playoff series. Game 4 will be played in Seattle on Wednesday night.

Lewis, the Sonics' starting shooting forward, visited a shoulder specialist Monday to check out his partially dislocated left shoulder and was told to rest it for three weeks. It could require surgery, general manager Rick Sund said.

"They're got to wait to see where it's at," Sund said.

Lewis, who was Seattle's No. 2 scorer and top rebounder during the regular season with averages of 16.8 and 7.0, was injured wrestling for a rebound with the Spurs' Malik Rose in the first minute of the second half of Game 3.

"Three weeks is what they said," Sund said. "If it gets better and if we win this series, they'll look at it. But it's doubtful."

The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers will face the winner of the Spurs-Sonics series in the Western Conference semifinals.

It's unlikely that the 7-foot-1 Robinson, who's been coping with a sprained lower back, will play in Game 4. But he practiced a little with his team Monday. He didn't do anything strenuous and was gone before reporters were allowed in.

"He's kind of plateaued," coach Gregg Popovich said. "He hasn't made a lot of progress in the last couple of days. We're not expecting him to play Wednesday."

After the way San Antonio handled the Sonics in Game 3, when Tim Duncan had 27 points and 13 rebounds and 19-year-old Tony Parker scored 23 points on 10-for-15 shooting, the Spurs aren't expected to risk Robinson.

He has played only seven minutes in the San Antonio-Seattle series, pulling himself out of Game 1.

But having their popular center back at practice meant a lot to his Spurs' teammates.

"It did me good to see him out there," Rose said. "He'll be back sometime, it's only a matter of time. He feels better and he wants to get back."

With Lewis all but out for Game 3 with his shoulder injury and a lingering sprained left ankle that has limited him to 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 26.3 minutes in the first three playoff games, coach Nate McMillan has to come up with a replacement starter.

McMillan deferred that Monday because Lewis' likely replacement, rookie Vladimir Radmanovic, has a sprained big toe on his right foot that is still bothering him. Radmanovic played six minutes and scored six points in Game 3.

McMillan held Radmanovic out of most of the scrimmage Monday.

"I definitely expect him to play minutes," McMillan said. "Hopefully, he will be able to provide those minutes whether it's as a starting role or coming off the bench."

The Spurs might not have reserve forward Danny Ferry for Game 4. Ferry is questionable for Wednesday night with a sprained right wrist that he sustained in Game 3. Like Lewis, Ferry visited the doctor's office Monday morning and had his injured wrist fitted with a brace.

"I think I'd have a hard time playing today," he said. "I need as much time as I can get."

In Game 3, Parker punished Sonics' point guard Gary Payton, who has made the NBA's all-defensive first team for eight consecutive seasons, by driving past him for uncontested layups.

McMillan said Payton needs help at containing Parker because he's not the defensive player he once was.

"I don't think anyone who is 33 is like they were when they were 24 or 22," McMillan said.

Desmond Mason of the Sonics said the highly competitive Payton didn't feel embarrassed by Parker's explosive game.

"I don't think Gary is worried about that," he said. "Parker is a quick guy. I think he can get by anybody in the league."

Mason said he looks for Payton to do a much better defensive job on Parker on Wednesday night.

"He's really not a shooter," Mason said of Parker, who is averaging 19.0 points and shooting 60.5 percent from the floor in the series. "So you have to back off him and make him shoot jump shots because he can get to the basket on anybody and find guys. And a guy like Duncan is easy to find."

If Game 5 is necessary, it will be played Friday in San Antonio.