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Injury-plagued Wolves lose Love to concussion

Minnesota’s playoff hopes were dealt a serious blow Wednesday night when leading scorer and rebounder Kevin Love was knocked out of a loss at Denver and hospitalized overnight for treatment of a concussion and a neck strain.

Love was injured in the first quarter of the Timberwolves’ 113-107 loss at Denver when 7-foot Denver center JaVale McGee inadvertently elbowed him in the head on a drive to the basket.

Love landed on his back and teammate J.J. Barea immediately called for medical help. After remaining motionless for several moments he was treated for the injury and left the game.

“I knew it as soon as he hit, when I saw his eyes on the floor I knew he was out,” Barea . “He was talking, but he wasn’t all there. A mild concussion is still bad, but he’ll be fine.”

Love wore a neck brace while the medical staff worked on him in the locker room. He did not re-enter the game and will miss the team’s home game Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

His return to the lineup won’t come until he passes a series of league-mandated tests that prove he is symptom-free as part of the NBA’s concussion policy it adopted before this season.

After Love’s injury, Denver immediately went on a 16-4 run at the end of the first quarter. It helped contribute to the seventh consecutive loss for the Timberwolves, who lost Ricky Rubio to a season-ending knee injury earlier this year. On Wednesday, Minnesota also played without guards Luke Ridnour (sprained ankle) and Wayne Ellington (back spasms).

“It just seems like that happens every game to us,” Minnesota coach Rick Adelman told the Star-Tribune.

Parker rebounds, Spurs gain revenge

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Spurs 112, Lakers 91: April 17, 2012

Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol of Spain goes for a shot as San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner (15) defends during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) dunks as San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (22) looks on during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9), of France, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers’ Pau Gasol (16) of Spain defends during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) drives as teammate Tiago Splitter (22) sets a pick on Los Angeles Lakers’ Ramon Sessions (7) during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) watches the ball as San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan, left, and Tony Parker (9) defend during the second half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Spurs won 112-91. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) goes for a layup as Los Angeles Lakers’ Ramon Sessions defends during the second half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Spurs won 112-91. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, center, reacts as Ramon Sessions, left, looks on from the bench as the San Antonio Spurs score during the second half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Spurs won 112-91. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9), of France, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers’ Josh McRoberts defends during the second half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Spurs won 112-91. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) (AP)

By Jeff McDonald

LOS ANGELES — Officially, the decision was reached at 30,000 feet in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, somewhere over the midsection of California.

Not long after rolling to a blowout win at Golden State on Monday night, the Spurs boarded their charter flight bound for Los Angeles, for the middle game of a back-to-back-to-back, with much of the basketball-playing wondering how many league-approved sport coats had been packed in the cargo hold.

Would Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili suit up for the rematch against the Lakers? Or would coach Gregg Popovich again choose scoring rest for his veterans over a scoring points a national popularity contest?

“For us, it was not even a question,” Parker said after the Spurs unloaded both barrels on the Lakers in a 112-91 victory at the Staples Center.

The Spurs did not necessarily need Tuesday’s game. But after what had happened six days earlier, when the Lakers marched into the ATT Center with Kobe Bryant in street clothes and punked them 98-84, they certainly wanted it.

By the time the Spurs landed in LA., it was official. Everyone was in.

“There was never any doubt,” Ginobili said.

Behind 29 points and 13 assists from Parker, and a productive all-around night from their’ Big Three, the Spurs (44-16) reasserted their Western Conference dominance in front of a sold-out, celebrity laden crowd and a national television audience

The victory kept the Spurs in first place in the West, narrowly ahead of Oklahoma City, and ensured them no worse of a No. 2 seed. Tonight in Sacramento, they have an opportunity to sweep a second set of three games in three nights.

More than anything, Tuesday’s runaway helped soothe the Spurs’ psyche still stinging from a lopsided loss in San Antonio.

“We needed to come here and feel good about ourselves and show we are better than that,” Ginobili said. “We needed to play better.”

After going 2-for-12 in the first meeting, Parker led the Spurs’ victory parade Tuesday. He had his hands all over the 18-0 run that broke the game open in the second quarter, and later added a highlight reel undressing of Steve Blake.

Popovich said he didn’t bring up last Wednesday’s mugging in San Antonio before he game. He didn’t have to.

“We were very motivated,” Parker said. “Obviously, we were not happy with our performance in our place. We wanted to get it back.”

For Parker, redemption came in heaping spoonfuls. He hit 14 of his 20 shots, and came within one point of his highest-scoring career game against the Lakers — set in Game 2 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals.

“I played one of my worst games (in the first meeting),” Parker said. “I was very motivated. I wanted to come back strong and try to help my team win.”

Bryant was again sidelined in the rematch, missing his sixth consecutive game with a sore shin. For the Lakers, who tumbled to 39-23, that was about all that stayed the same.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum had been a one-man wrecking ball in the first meeting, posting 16 points and grabbing 30 rebounds to set a Spurs all-time opponent record.

It was part of a whopping 60-33 rebounding edge for the Lakers that night, and prompted what happened Tuesday.

Then, Popovich replaced his smallest frontcourt player (the 6-foot-7 DeJuan Blair) with one of his tallest. In part to counter the Lakers’ frontline tandem of Bynum and Pau Gasol, Popovich started Tiago Splitter next to Duncan for the first time.

It was a look the Popovich had used for all of 118 minutes this season, though Duncan and Splitter played extensively together during the lockout-lengthened summer.

“I’m probably a lot more comfortable with it than the minutes show,” said Duncan, who finished with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Splitter’s presence next to Duncan on Tuesday was mostly negligible. Plagued by foul trouble, he logged just five points and three rebounds in 18 minutes.

The first play of the game did not look promising for the Spurs, when Gasol hit Bynum on a lob over the top of the Spurs’ supersized defense.

But Duncan handled Bynum the rest of the way, and the Spurs won the battle on the glass. Bynum ended with a manageable 21 points and seven rebounds.

Ginobili joined Parker and Duncan in double figures with 15, as the Big Three combined for 63 points.

None of the above logged more than 15 minutes in a 21-point win a night earlier at Golden State, making Popovich’s decision to play them against the Lakers more comfortable.

“If last night everybody had played 40 minutes,” Popovich said, “the decision might have been different.”

Twice this season, Popovich has rested Duncan, Parker and Ginobili — his three top scorers — on the same night.

Given the stage, and the stakes, the Big Three certainly wanted to play in L.A. Those surprised with Popovich’s acquiescence do not fully understand the Spurs’ dynamic.

It is true that Popovich’s locker room is no democracy. But he rules as a benevolent dictator, open to suggestions.

“I don’t think you can be too pedantic and say whatever you want and think it’s going to fly,” Popovich said. “It’s a players’ league. You need to have the players’ respect. Their opinions, depending on who they are, are often times important and could lead you in a direction that’s beneficial to your team.”

Ginobili estimates he’s been on the receiving end of about 100 of those conversations throughout his career. He says he can usually read Popovich’s decision by the look on his face.

There was no such discussion Tuesday. The decision was a no-brainer.

The Spurs might rest tonight in Sacramento. In Los Angeles, with a game to win and redemption in store, the Spurs brought everyone to the fight.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Game rewind: Duncan bewitches Boston again

Rick Pitino remained convinced for many years that he would have perhaps retired as an NBA coach if the lottery numbers had held true and Tim Duncan would have ended up with the Boston Celtics when he was coaching there.

The Celtics had the best chance of earning the right to pick Duncan when he was the overwhelming No. 1 draft pick in the 1997 draft. But they failed to get him and instead wound up picking up Ron Mercer and Chauncey Billups. It sent the Celtics’ hopes spiraling downward and eventually led to Pitino leaving the franchise four years later.

Instead, Duncan ended up in San Antonio to help build one of the NBA’s most consistent powers over the last 15 seasons.

And since that fateful draft day, the exploits of Duncan have always stung a little more for Celtics fans. As Duncan led the Spurs to four NBA titles while earning nine first-team All-NBA berths, it’s made some understandably wonder how the Celtics would have been different if Duncan ended up playing for them.

Duncan has always been a persistent pest against the Celtics, leading the Spurs to 13 victories in 15 games in Boston during his career, including Wednesday’s 87-86 squeaker. He’s averaged 20.4 points and 11.3 rebounds in his career against Boston.

He had another double-double Wednesday night with 10 points and 16 rebounds and was involved in a key defensive set that turned away Paul Pierce’s game-winning attempt at the buzzer.

“It was make or miss. I just didn’t want him to go by me,” Duncan told the Associated Press. “To be honest with you, he probably got the shot he wanted.”

Duncan switched onto Pierce off a pick-and-roll, but helped cause his step-back jumper at the foul line to clank away at the buzzer.

“Listen, Paul Pierce taking a step-back at the [free throw line], that’s not a bad option,” Boston coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the game. “I just wish we could have done it a bit earlier.”

Instead, Duncan denied the Celtics again.

As he’s done most of his career.

Here’s a look at how the Spurs claimed their ninth straight victory and pulled within one game of Oklahoma City for the best record in the Western Conference.

The game, simply stated: After a strong offensive performance in the first half, the Spurs slogged through their worst offensive half of the season in the second half. Despite those struggles, some key hustle plays down the stretch enabled them to escape with a gritty victory reminiscent of some of their old title-winning teams.

Where the game was won: After Brandon Bass’ tip-in gave the Celtics an 83-81 lead, the Spurs’ defense and clutch shooting came through. Kevin Garnett missed a shot that could have given Boston a four-point lead. The Spurs then got a key offensive rebound from Duncan that set up a 3-pointer by Gary Neal with 1:59 left that gave them the lead for good. And after Duncan hit a foul shot, Matt Bonner’s basket after a clutch rebound by Manu Ginobili boosted the lead to 87-83 with 46.5 seconds left. Ray Allen’s 3-pointer pulled the Celtics within one with 39.8 seconds left and Danny Green missed a 3-pointer on San Antonio’s final possession. The Spurs escaped when Pierce’s jumper at the buzzer was no good.

The good: The Spurs took control by scoring 12 consecutive points in the second quarter after a 36-all tie with 8:57 left in the second quarter. The run was highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers by Bonner and a fadeaway jumper by Neal that gave them a 48-36 lead with 6:45 left. After Bradley snapped the string with a jumper, the Spurs rattled off seven more points capped by a layup by Duncan that gave them their biggest lead at 55-38 with 4:37 left.

The bad: The Celtics closed the first half with a 10-4 run capped by a layup by Bradley that brought them within 59-48 at the break.

The ugly: San Antonio’s third quarter was their most putrid performance of the season. After converting two of their first four shots after halftime, the Spurs finished by the quarter by hitting only two of their last 18 shots and finished at 20 percent. They finished with a season-worst nine points in the quarter, including only five points over the final 9:47 of the quarter.

Player of the game I: The Spurs had no answer for Bradley, who erupted for a game-high 19 points off the Boston bench on 9-for-16 shooting.

Player of the game II: Neal came off the bench to score 13 points, including three 3-pointers, and also provided three rebounds and four assists.

Player of the game III: Rajon Rondo was the vital player for the Celtics, notching 17 points, 11 assists, four steals and three rebounds as he outplayed Tony Parker throughout the game.

Most unsung: Ginobili was limited to five points in 24:46. But no play was bigger than his offensive rebound of Stephen Jackson’s missed shot with 1:10 left that gave the Spurs another possession. And Ginobili made the most of it with 46.5 seconds left when he assisted on Bonner’s clinching basket.

Attendance: The Celtics attracted their 28th consecutive sellout of the season as a crowd of 18,624 was at the TD Garden for the game.

Did you notice I: University of Kentucky coach John Calipari was seated courtside for the game, only two nights after winning his first NCAA title in New Orleans. Calipari was greeted warmly by the TD Garden crowd, who remembered him from his days coaching at nearby UMass.

Did you notice II: Tiago Splitter showed some determination after having a jumper swatted away by Kevin Garnett with 8:37 left in the game. The Spurs’ backup center gathered the ball and then quickly beat Garnett to the hoop for a rebound basket. It’s showing that Splitter is progressing in his post play as he employed one of the lessons against one of the best defenders in NBA history.

Stat of the game I: The Spurs’ victory and Oklahoma City’s loss at Miami pulled San Antonio within one game of the Thunder for first place in the Western Conference. The Spurs are even in the loss column and have the tiebreaker over the Thunder after winning twice in their three-game regular-season series.

Stat of the game II: The Spurs were limited to nine points in the third quarter. It’s their lowest scoring quarter this season and tied the franchise low for points in the third quarter most recently notched at Toronto on Feb. 7, 2002.

Stat of the game III: Tim Duncan had 10 points and 16 rebounds for his 19th double-double this season and his seventh in his last 11 games.

Stat of the game IV: The Spurs’ bench again was a critical component of their victory with a 44-24 edge over the Celtics in bench points. The Spurs’ bench has outscored their opponents, 163-91, in their last three games.

Stat of the game V: The Celtics hit only 46.2 percent from the foul line, converting six of 13 free throws. It was only the second time this season a Spurs opponent shot less than 50 percent from the foul line after Philadelphia hit 45.5 percent on March 25.

Stat of the game VI: The Celtics’ five-game winning streak was snapped, as was their eight-game home winning streak.

Stat of the game VII: The Spurs were limited to 27.5 percent shooting in the second half.

Stat of the game VIII: Pierce was limited to 15 points, snapping his streak of 20-plus scoring games at seven games.

Stat of the game IX: The Spurs have won 26 of their last 31, 15 of their last 17 road games and 14 of their last 15 against Eastern Conference foes.

Stat of the game X: The Spurs are 9-1 since Stephen Jackson arrived, 8-0 since Boris Diaw arrived and 5-0 since Patty Mills joined them.

Weird stat of the night I: The Spurs committed only eight fouls, coming within one of breaking the franchise record for fewest fouls in a game in team history. It’s the lowest number of fouls since the Spurs set the team record with seven at Houston on April 13, 1984.

Weird stat of the game II: The Spurs set a season low by scoring 28 points in the second half, beating the previous low of 35 points at Miami on Jan. 17. The Spurs’ second-half woes came after they had hung a season-best 65 points on Cleveland in the second half Tuesday night.

Weird stat of the game III: After piling up all 12 field goals in the first quarter in the paint and producing 40 paint points in the first half, the Spurs notched only eight points in the paint in the second half.

Weird stat of the game IV: The Spurs had an 18-4 edge in second-chance points including 7-2 in the fourth quarter. The Spurs produced a 15-8 rebounding edge in the fourth quarter, including a 6-1 edge on offensive rebounds.

Weird stat of the game V: It was the Spurs’ first one-point victory since an 89-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last Feb. 3. That was the game settled on Antonio McDyess’ game-winning basket at the buzzer.

Weird stat of the game VI: In the coaching tenure of Gregg Popovich, the Spurs’ record in games settled by one point is 32-21.

Weird stat of the game VII: The Spurs missed nine consecutive 3-point attempts from late in the second quarter until Danny Green hit one with 9:08 left in the game.

Not a good sign: Rookie Kawhi Leonard was shut out in 17:37. It marked the third game he has failed to score this season and first since Feb. 15 at Toronto.

Best plus/minus scores: Bonner was plus-8 and Duncan and Neal were both plus-7.

Worst plus/minus scores: Ginobili was minus-12 and Parker and Splitter were both minus-6.

Quote of the game: “The third quarter was uglier than bowling shoes,” Spurs analyst Sean Elliott, describing the struggling play of both teams on FOX Sports Southwest.

How the schedule stacks up: The Spurs return home for games Friday against New Orleans and Sunday against Utah before meeting the Jazz in Utah Monday night. The Celtics travel to Chicago Thursday night and Saturday at Indiana before returning home Sunday against Philadelphia.

Injuries: The Spurs had a complete roster. Parker stumbled near the Spurs bench with 2:33 left and was removed for the rest of the game after tangling with Bradley and stumbling to the floor. Boston played without F Jermaine O’Neal (left wrist surgery) and G Mickael Pietrus (head injury)