Spurs uncertain when Duncan will play
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs will have to find
another way to beat the Phoenix Suns. Tim Duncan won't be the
immediate answer.
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With Duncan sidelined, the defending champions were weakened
inside. The Suns took advantage and won 72-70 Saturday in the
opener of their first-round playoff series.
Duncan, the Spurs' leading scorer and MVP of last year's NBA
finals, missed the final four regular-season games with torn
cartilage in his left knee. He'll be on the bench again for Game 2
Tuesday night.
"He's just not ready to go," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said
following Sunday's workout. "We're going to treat him like the
Sean Elliott's situation. If we're going to err, it will be on the
side of caution."
Elliott missed most of the season recovering from a kidney
transplant.
With Duncan out, the Suns were able to double-team David
Robinson after he got into early foul trouble. Samaki Walker
replaced Duncan and had 13 points and 16 rebounds in his first
career playoff game.
"How we're doing in the playoffs has nothing to do with Tim
playing," Popovich said. "We won't play him until he's ready."
The Spurs are starting to adjust to Duncan's absence.
"It was a distraction the Portland game (Spurs' first game
after Duncan's injury) -- that game caught us off guard," Avery
Johnson said. "Since then, we've known that he'd be out for some
time so we just go do the best we can."
There is no timetable for Duncan's return. With added time for
the first round of the playoffs, Game 3 won't come until Saturday
in Phoenix.
"I'm going to play when I am ready and it doesn't matter what
is going on," Duncan said. "I just want to be out there. It's not
something I can force myself to play."
The Suns have their own injury woes.
They have had more time to adjust to the loss of guard Jason
Kidd, out since March 22 with a broken left ankle.
Kevin Johnson came out of retirement late in the season and
despite little regular-season playing time contributed 25 minutes
in Game 1.
"I told Scott that I was no better than 70 percent," Kevin
Johnson said. "I put the entire decision in his hands."
Penny Hardaway scored 17 points in Game 1 and helped ease the
loss of Kidd.
"Penny stepped up before Jason got hurt," Suns coach Scott
Skiles said. "They were both starting to have big games on the
same night and then Jason got hurt."
The Spurs had more to worry about than missing Duncan. They shot
poorly and hit only 12 of 21 free throws.
"Tim's not going to pull out Superman's cape," Avery Johnson
said. "He's going to be out for a while and we have to find a way
to get things done without him."
Kevin Johnson expects another battle in Game 2.
"I just think we caught them flat," Kevin Johnson said. "It's
not like we beat them with a buzzer shot. The whole game was pretty
even."
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