Duncan-less Spurs ready for upstart Nuggets

San Antonio, TX (Basketball News) - The San Antonio Spurs will be without All- Star center Tim Duncan on Saturday when they start a brief two-game homestand against the upstart Denver Nuggets at the SBC Center.

On Thursday, the Spurs were crushed by the Dallas Mavericks, 115-91, at AmericanAirlines Center. To make matters worse, San Antonio played half of the game without Duncan, who left in the third quarter with a leg injury after scoring 22 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in 25 minutes.

Duncan is suffering from irritation of the left patellofemoral joint and will undergo treatment, including exercises, to strengthen his left quadriceps muscles.

San Antonio, which will close its stand on Monday against Memphis, has won 12 of its last 16 games at home and is 19-7 in its arena this season.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, suffered their season-high fourth straight loss on Wednesday in heartbreaking fashion, as they were on the wrong end of a 112-111 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center.

Carmelo Anthony poured in 35 points, but turned the ball over seven times for the Nuggets. Andre Miller scored 21 points in the setback.

Denver was up by 13 midway through the final stanza, but gave it all back and finally succumbed when Kareem Rush buried a three-pointer from the left wing with 3.2 seconds left to make it 112-111.

Miller’s desperation three from half-court as time expired was off the mark.

Anthony, who has netted 20 or more points in 11 of his last 12 contests, is on the verge of a milestone and needs 21 points to become the Nuggets’ rookie season scoring leader. With 1,185 points this year, the 19-year-old phenom passed Dikembe Mutombo (1,177 in the 1991-92 season) on Wednesday and now trails only LaPhonso Ellis, who set the Denver rookie record of 1,205 points in the 1992-93 season.

On the injury front, Marcus Camby played sparingly in the second half because of a strained right groin. He is questionable for tonight’s game.

Denver, which has lost five of six and seven of its last nine on the road and is 11-18 away from home this season.

The Nuggets will be trying for their second win in three chances against the defending champs this season. Denver, though, has lost four of five and 10 of the last 12 meetings overall and has dropped five straight and 12 of its last 13 in San Antonio.