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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- For two years the Portland Trail Blazers
have known the secret to beating the San Antonio Spurs is to stop Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
Now the Blazers are finally putting the strategy into action.
|  | | David Robinson grimaces in pain after suffering a bruised shoulder. Robinson returned shortly after the injury. |
"We know where their bread and butter is. It's those two guys
in the post," Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy said after Portland shut
down the Spurs' big men in an 81-67 victory Saturday. "They're
virtually impossible one-on-one to guard. We battled them and kept
them from getting great low-post position."
Duncan, who scored a season-low nine points in Portland's 105-95
victory in San Antonio on Jan. 19, got into early foul trouble and
finished with 12 points.
"They got me out of my rhythm," Duncan said. "They did a
great job double-teaming me. They do a great job of being all over
the place. You rarely get an open look at the basket."
Steve Smith scored 15 points, Scottie Pippen had 14 and Rasheed
Wallace had 11 in a typically balanced scoring attack for the
Blazers, who have won five straight and nine of 11.
Portland is 2-0 against the Spurs this season and appears on the
way to figuring out the world champions, who swept the Blazers in
the Western Conference finals last season.
Avery Johnson had 15 points and Robinson had 12 points and 10
rebounds to lead the Spurs, who shot just 36 percent and were
0-for-9 from 3-point range.
"All of our big guys were key to holding down Duncan and
Robinson," Wallace said. "That was a complete defensive effort to
shut them down, and their outside guys were off."
The Spurs' 67 points were a season low, eclipsing a 77-74 loss
at Phoenix on Nov. 7. San Antonio scored just nine points in the
fourth quarter and 27 in the second half, also season lows. The
Spurs missed 16 of their final 17 shots.
"Portland obviously is the most talented team in the league,
and the deepest," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's not even
close."
Still, the Spurs stayed tied for first in the Midwest Division
with Utah, which lost in Minnesota 96-94.
In the last 11 days, Portland is 4-0 against the division
leaders in the West, beating the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz and
the Spurs twice.
The Blazers trailed most of the first half, but took the lead
for good in the second quarter with Duncan on the bench.
Duncan, who played just six minutes in the first half, got his
second foul midway through the first quarter while trying to guard
Wallace. When Duncan came back to start the second, Wallace went
right at him, drawing another foul 48 seconds into the period.
San Antonio managed to stay close, but let the game slip away by
hitting just 1-of-12 shots in the last 7:39 of the quarter.
Jermaine O'Neal scored 10 points in the period for the Blazers,
including a nice two-handed reverse dunk on a pass from Greg
Anthony.
In the closing seconds, Damon Stoudamire stole an outlet pass and fed to Pippen, who lobbed to Wallace for a dunk to give the
Blazers a 49-40 halftime lead.
The Spurs were without both Duncan and Robinson for much of the
third. Robinson bruised his right shoulder after teammate Jerome
Kersey collided with him chasing a loose ball with 7:10 left.
Robinson lay on the court and was helped to the locker room, but he
returned with 2:25 left in the period. Robinson scored just one
point the rest of the way.
"We had to play without Tim because of those early fouls, and
then when Dave went down with the injury, we were trying to get a
rhythm and just couldn't do it because Portland's defense is just
too good," Popovich said.
An open 21-foot jumper by Arvydas Sabonis put Portland up 66-58
entering the fourth. The Blazers widened the lead to 75-58 to start
the fourth when Bonzi Wells converted a layup and hit two long
jumpers, and Pippen added a 12-footer with 7:50 to go.
Game notes
The Spurs dropped to 11-12 on the road. Since starting the
season 14-3 overall, San Antonio has gone 14-12. ... Portland has
won eight straight at home and hasn't lost at the Rose Garden since
Dec. 17, to Phoenix. ... The Blazers are 21-7 against teams with a
record of .500 or better. ... Portland and San Antonio are the only
two teams in the NBA allowing an average of fewer than 90 points a
game. The Blazers lead the league at 88.4, while the Spurs, who
were tops in that category last season at 84.7, are giving up 89.4.
... Former Blazers guard Terry Porter, who was held scoreless on
0-for-8 shooting in Thursday night's win against Minnesota, shot
1-for-7 and scored three points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
San Antonio Clubhouse
Portland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 90
Philadelphia 88
Minnesota 96
Utah 94
Toronto 106
Chicago 89
Indiana 94
Miami 84
Portland 81
San Antonio 67
Washington 103
Cleveland 98
Charlotte 100
Phoenix 79
Orlando 103
Atlanta 87
Dallas 107
Denver 96
Milwaukee 101
Seattle 99
LA Clippers 98
New Jersey 93
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