Los Angeles | SAN ANTONIO SPURS TICKETS

Thursday: Spurs (23-10) at Nuggets (18-16)

Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS

Point guard
Spurs: 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 11th yr)
Nuggets: 3 Ty Lawson (5-11, 3rd yr)
Lawson (ankle) did not play in Wednesday game at L.A. Clippers.

Shooting guard
Spurs: 4 Danny Green (6-6, 3rd yr)
Nuggets: 6 Arron Afflalo (6-5, 5th yr)
Green scored 16 points and played 30:37 of blowout loss in Portland.

Small forward
Spurs: 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 11th yr)
Nuggets: 13 Cory Brewer (6-9, 5th yr)
Jefferson had season-high-tying 19 points in last meeting with Denver.

Power forward
Spurs: 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 15th yr)
Nuggets: 35 Kenneth Faried (6-8, 1st yr)
Faried had season-high 14 boards Monday vs. T’wolves, outrebounding Kevin Love.

Center
Spurs: 45 DeJuan Blair (6-7, 3rd yr)
Nuggets: 25 Timofey Mozgov (7-1, 2nd yr)
Mozgov (ankle) started and played almost 23 minutes Wednesday game at L.A. Clippers.

SPURS RESERVES
25 James Anderson, G, 6-6, 2nd yr
15 Matt Bonner, C/F, 6-10, 8th yr
23 Eric Dawson, F, 6-9, 1st yr
2 Kawhi Leonard, F, 6-7, 1st yr
14 Gary Neal, G, 6-4, 2nd yr
5 Cory Joseph, G, 6-3, 1st yr
22 Tiago Splitter, C, 6-11, 2nd yr

NUGGETS RESERVES
11 Chris Andersen, F, 6-10, 10th yr
5 Rudy Fernandez, G, 6-6, 4th yr
1 Jordan Hamilton, G/F 6-7 1st yr
7 Al Harrington, F, 6-11, 14th yr
41 Kosta Koufos, C, 7-0, 4th yr
24 Andre Miller, G, 6-2, 13th yr
31 Nene, F/C, 6-11, 10th yr
10 Julyan Stone, G, 6-6, 1st yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Nuggets: George Karl

INJURIES
Spurs: T.J. Ford (torn left hamstring) is out; Manu Ginobili (strained left oblique) is out; Splitter (strained right calf) is doubtful.
Nuggets: Danilo Gallinari (left ankle sprain) is out; Rudy Fernandez (lower back strain) is questionable; Ty Lawson (left ankle sprain) is questionable.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Ford, Ginobili, Splitter
Nuggets: Gallinari

NOTABLE
Nuggets are playing second game of back-to-back and had to travel back to Denver from Los Angeles, where they played the Clippers on Wednesday night. … Spurs won the first game with Denver this season, 121-117, at the ATT Center. … Tony Parker (All-Star Game) and Kawhi Leonard (Rising Stars Challenge) are to depart Denver after game for All-Star Weekend in Orlando.

– Mike Monroe

Editor’s note: The Nuggets’ record and status of Ty Lawson and Timofey Mozgov were updated following their 103-95 loss to the Clippers late Wednesday.

Pop sees bright side to rout

By Mike Monroe

DENVER — After their 137-97 loss to the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, most of the Spurs decided the less said about the game, the better.

“They made about 18 3-pointers in the first quarter,” guard Danny Green said. “That just about sums it up.”

In fact, the Blazers made 8 of 10 on 3-point shots in the first period and 15 of 28 for the game, but Green’s point was taken.

With coach Gregg Popovich sitting his top scorer and assist man, Tony Parker, and his top rebounder and No. 2 scorer, Tim Duncan, there was only one thing Popovich cared about Tuesday.

“The only expectation I have is to play hard,” he said after the most lopsided loss for a Spurs team since March 5, 1997, when the Chicago Bulls scored a 111-69 victory.

And his assessment of the effort given by the nine players who saw action?

“They busted their butts,” he said.

Spurs rookie Kawhi Leonard logged a season-high 43 minutes and scored a season-high 24 points, and Popovich was grateful for the experience he was able to give the player the Spurs traded George Hill to acquire on draft night.

Leonard’s ability to learn on the fly after a short training camp and a compressed scheduled that has minimized practice time has been one of the surprises of the season, according to Popovich.

“Absolutely, without a doubt, the young guys picked things up more quickly (than expected),” Popovich said. “Kawhi still has a long way to go as far as understanding what’s going on, but his willingness to learn, his effort level and his ability to focus have been impressive. Same with Danny Green.”

Dawson’s debut: Eric Dawson, the 27-year-old, 6-foot-9 forward had waited a long time to make his NBA debut.

When it finally came, he logged nearly 32 minutes and produced respectable numbers. The former Sam Houston High School star scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds. He missed four of his first five shots but made all three he took in the fourth period.

Rested and ready: Popovich opted to keep the Spurs in Portland after Tuesday’s game, traveling to Denver at midday after a good night’s rest.

The Nuggets played the Clippers on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, chartering back to Denver after a game that tipped off at 8 p.m. Mountain time.

Rodeo trip rank: Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game, the Spurs already are assured the second-best rodeo road trip since the annual trek began when the club moved into a new arena for the 2002-03 season. A victory tonight would match the inaugural rodeo trip in 2003 at 8-1.

The Spurs never have had a losing rodeo trip. The worst trip was 4-4 in 2007.

mikemonroe@express-news.net

Spurs drub Denver to finish rodeo trip

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
twitter.com/Monroe_SA

– 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)