By Mike Monroe
DENVER — Fresh off the worst defeat for any Spurs team since 1997, a 40-point thumping in Portland, this season’s Spurs came out against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center as if they intended to secure their most lopsided victory in the past dozen seasons.
Leading by as many as 28 in the first half, the Spurs eventually settled for a 114-99 victory that closed out their ninth rodeo road trip with an 8-1 record.
Only in 2002-03, when the Spurs lost the first game of the inaugural rodeo trip and won the final eight, had the club produced as good a record for the extended journey.
No team in NBA history has had a better stretch of nine consecutive road games. But closing the trip out with a convincing victory was more important for what it prevented — five days of dwelling on what would have been back-to-back losses.
“It was great to get the win,” team captain Tim Duncan said. “It was important to start the game the right way, and we did that. We were happy with the outcome.”
The rest coach Gregg Popovich gave Duncan and All-Star point guard Tony Parker by holding them out of Tuesday’s game in Portland, derided as an insult to the game in some media quarters, proved a solid strategy. Duncan scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Parker took only four shots in the first half but finished with 16 points and 12 assists.
At 23 years of age, DeJuan Blair doesn’t need extra rest. He played 20-plus minutes in Portland but still had plenty left in Denver. Making 8 of 10 shots in the first half, he finished with 28 points, matching a career high. He also grabbed 12 rebounds.
“I don’t know what got into me,” Blair said. “All-Star break coming up, maybe. I was pretty aggressive. It was fun. A lot of fun.
“We wanted to come out and set the tone. They came off a loss last night, and we were coming off a huge loss. We wanted to hit, hit, hit them first.”
Blair’s aggression hit the Nuggets immediately. He made four of five shots in the first period, when the Spurs jumped out to a 31-15 lead.
“That’s what DeJuan always does,” Duncan said. “He finds a way to score the ball. He’s like a magnet to the ball. It’s just about getting his opportunities. He got a lot of those tonight, and he’ll finish them. He’ll put them in.”
Next up for ever team is All-Star Weekend, a five-day vacation for every Spurs player but Western Conference All-Star Tony Parker and rookie Kawhi Leonard, who will play in tonight’s Rising Stars Challenge.
It will be a welcome break for a team with three players on the injured list. Guard Manu Ginobili and center Tiago Splitter are still more than a week from their projected returns, and point guard T.J. Ford might miss the next game or two before returning.
Those injuries make every day without a game a bonus for the Spurs, now 24-10. Even their youngest player, 20-year-old Leonard, was feeling the fatigue of the rodeo trip. Feeling tightness in both calves at halftime Thursday, he sat out the second half, a luxury afforded to Popovich by their big lead.
As much rest as Duncan, Parker and their teammates got after the debacle in Portland, the short-handed Nuggets were primed for a fatigue-induced letdown. They arrived in Denver after 2 in the morning Thursday from a Wednesday night loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles.
Popovich said Thursday’s game was not a fair contest.
“Considering what (the Nuggets) had to go through, not just with injuries but with the schedule they just had, it was not a fair fight. They deserve a lot of credit for hanging in the whole game and making a run. A lot of teams would have packed it in. They showed a lot of character, and I’m sure (coach) George (Karl) is proud of them for that.”
mikemonroe@express-news.net
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– Associated Press photos
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Spurs 114, Nuggets 99: Feb. 23, 2012
San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) scores with Denver Nuggets center Chris Andersen (11) defending during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) and head coach Gregg Popovich, right, talk on the sideline during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) drives by Denver Nuggets center Kosta Koufos (41) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
Denver Nuggets’ Jordan Hamilton, front left, and Kenneth Faried, right, collide in midair while reaching for a rebound against the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) drives past Denver Nuggets center Kosta Koufos (41) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) attempts a basket after being fouled by Denver Nuggets shooting guard Arron Afflalo during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs power forward Matt Bonner warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
Denver Nuggets guard Jordan Hamilton, from right, holds onto the ball after colliding with San Antonio Spurs small forward Richard Jefferson during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) leaves the game for a quick break during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. The Spurs won 114-99. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
Denver Nuggets small forward Corey Brewer (13) scores past San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. The Spurs won 114-99. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair, top, blocks a shot by Denver Nuggets small forward Corey Brewer, bottom, but fouled him in the process during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. The Spurs won 114-99. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) looks to pass with Denver Nuggets small forward Corey Brewer (13) defending during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 in Denver. The Spurs won 114-99. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair (45) tries to drive past Denver Nuggets power forward Al Harrington (7) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Denver. The Spurs won 114-99. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) (AP)
