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Duncan-less Spurs commence trek in Denver

Mar 23, 2011 - 3:30 PM (Sports Network) - A Tim Duncan-less San Antonio team hopes to inch closer to clinching the top seed in the Western Conference when it faces off with the Denver Nuggets in the Rockies.

Duncan is out indefinitely for the Spurs after spraining his left ankle in the first quarter of a 111-96 win over Golden State on Monday. The star forward came down awkwardly after draining a short jumper just over four minutes into the game. He was helped into the locker room and x-rays were negative but an MRI on Tuesday confirmed the injury.

The Spurs persevered to win their third straight game behind Manu Ginobili, who scored a game-high 28 points. Tony Parker compiled 17 points and 15 assists while Richard Jefferson added 12 points.

Steve Novak shot his way to 13 points and Tiago Splitter, playing extended minutes in place of Duncan, netted his first double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs, who were also without big man DeJuan Blair due to a sprained left wrist.

At an NBA-best 57-13, the Spurs have already clinched a playoff berth and own a comfortable 6 1/2-game lead over the LA Lakers in the West. The franchise has made 13 consecutive postseason appearances and won four NBA championships since drafting Duncan No. 1 overall out of Wake Forest back in 1997

"Well Tiago is going to give you that (hustle) every night. He's going to bust his butt to rebound and play defense. He's going to give you that grunt that every team needs and every coach loves. That's nothing different from him. That's just what he does," San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich said about Splitter's play in Duncan's absence.

Duncan is scheduled to stay in the Alamo City for rehabilitation during the Spurs' three-game road trip that begins tonight and no timetable has been set for his return.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, come in after blitzing Toronto on Monday. Ty Lawson scored 23 points, one of seven Nuggets in double figures, in that one as Denver rolled past the Raptors, 123-90, at the Pepsi Center.

Nene added 18 points and seven rebounds, Al Harrington posted 15 points and six rebounds off the bench, while Gary Forbes chipped in 14 points for the Nuggets, who snapped a two-game skid and improved to 10-4 since trading Carmelo Anthony to New York.

The Nuggets, who are fifth in the West, four games behind fourth-place Oklahoma City, got solid contributions from their bench with two key players sitting out with injuries. Raymond Felton didn't play due to a sprained left ankle and Arron Afflalo missed the contest with a left hamstring injury.

"The players that came off the bench set the tempo a little bit," said Denver's Wilson Chandler.

Both Felton and Afflalo remain questionable for tonight's contest.

San Antonio has won five straight over the Nuggets, including three games this season.