San Antonio Spurs Team Report - March 21

(Basketball News) - The Spurs will have to without the services of star forward Tim Duncan on Monday, when they continue their three-game road trip against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. San Antonio won the only other meeting between these teams this season, 99-81, at the SBC Center on November 16th. The Spurs have won five of the last seven meetings, including two of the last three at MSG.

Duncan re-sprained his right ankle during the first half of San Antonio’s 110-101 defeat to the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday. The perennial All-Star was quickly flown back to San Antonio to undergo an MRI this afternoon. Duncan’s sprain was given a level-two classification, worse than his previous injury to the ankle.

Devin Brown paced the Spurs with 18 points in the loss. Beno Udrih finished with 15 points and Manu Ginobili chipped in 14 for San Antonio, which had a three-game winning streak halted. Ginobili had missed the last five games with a groin injury.

Rasho Nesterovic registered 13 points and six rebounds, while Nazr Mohammed tacked on 13 points and eight boards. Tony Parker registered 12 points and five assists in the defeat.

The Spurs shot 47.6 percent from the field, including 6-of-21 (.286) from three-point range. San Antonio hit 17-of-22 (.773) from the charity stripe in the contest.

San Antonio remains atop the Western Conference with a 50-16 mark, a half-game ahead of Phoenix. The Spurs are 6 1/2 contests in front of Dallas in the Southwest Division.

The Spurs have won six of 10 and eight of their last 13 road games. They are 19-13 in foreign buildings.

Monday’s games marks the first time the teams have met since the Knicks acquired forward Malik Rose and conditional first-round draft choices in 2005 and 2006 for center Nazr Mohammed and guard Jamison Brewer.

San Antonio will visit the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, before returning home on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks in the first of three consecutive games at the SBC Center. The Spurs will also host the Houston Rockets on Sunday and Seattle SuperSonics on March 30th during the stand.