A potential first-round Western Conference playoff matchup headlines Friday night's NBA action as the San Antonio Spurs look for their 12th consecutive win when they face the Nuggets in Denver.
The Spurs (43-17), who lead the West by a half-game over the Los Angeles Lakers, have not lost since a 98-90 defeat to Eastern Conference-leading Boston on Feb. 10.
They are coming off a home 108-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, yet may be somewhat rested. No Spurs player played more than 28 minutes in the victory. The short shifts ought to leave most of the Spurs in good shape for tonight's trip to Denver's thin air.
Tim Duncan had just six points, shooting 3 of 11 from the field, but pulled down 12 rebounds, part of a 47-35 edge for the Spurs on the glass. But he played only 23 minutes, 45 seconds. Neither Duncan nor point guard Parker nor Bruce Bowen played in the fourth quarter. Manu Ginobili played three minutes, five seconds in the frame.
San Antonio is 9-3 in the second of back-to-back games.
San Antonio has held its opponents to an average of 87.1 points during the winning streak while outscoring them by 8.5 points per game. The 11-game run is their longest since they took 13 in a row from Feb. 13-March 13 last season.
San Antonio ranks third in the league with an average of 90.6 points allowed per game, but will be trying to slow down a Denver team that ranks fourth in the NBA with 107.6 points a contest. The Nuggets (36-24) have won three of four, averaging 124.7 points in those victories. Denver is in ninth place in the West, one game behind Golden State.But after winning a fast-paced game against Phoenix on Wednesday, the Nuggets know a total change of pace will take place tonight against the defensive Spurs.
"We average 105 possessions per game," Denver coach George Karl said Thursday. "I just got the scouting report on San Antonio. Our last five games against San Antonio, we've averaged 88 possessions.
"That's how they slow us down. They shoot the ball late in the shot clock, they move the ball from side-to-side. They'll do two, sometimes three pick-and-rolls in a possession. Their patient shot selection is (coach Gregg) Popovich's forte."
The Nuggets shot 52.7 percent in Wednesday's 126-113 victory over Phoenix. They are 14-1 when they hoot 50 percent or higher.
In addition, Denver will get an important player back tonight in point guard Chucky Atkins. Atkins, who has missed the past 26 games while recovering from hernia surgery, pronounced himself ready to go after a long individual workout Thursday.
"I'll be playing," he said. "I'm going to be excited, so I know I'm going to play with a lot of energy."
Atkins, a career 36.8 percent 3-point shooter, made 10-of-41 3s while trying to play through a groin injury earlier in the season. He played in only nine games before having surgery.
In Atkins' absence, Anthony Carter has handled the bulk of the point-guard duties, averaging eight points and 6.1 assists.
The Spurs wore down Denver in the teams' first meeting this season, Dec. 15 in San Antonio, but at Pepsi Center on Jan. 3, Denver played one of its finest defensive games in a victory as San Antonio shot just 37 percent. Denver won that game 80-77, recording its only win in five games this season when scoring fewer than 90 points; the Nuggets are 3-27 when scoring fewer than 90 the past three seasons, but two of those wins have come against the Spurs.
The Nuggets have won 12 of their last 14 games at the Pepsi Center.
ATS | San Antonio | Denver |
| Record: | 43-17-0 (.717) | 36-24-0 (.600) |
| As Favorite: | 41-9-0 (.820) | 29-12-0 (.707) |
| As Underdog: | 2-8-0 (.200) | 7-12-0 (.368) |
| At Home: | 26-5-0 (.839) | 24-7-0 (.774) |
| On Road: | 17-12-0 (.586) | 12-17-0 (.414) |
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