NO. 1 SAN ANTONIO vs. NO. 2 PORTLAND

Season series: San Antonio, 3-1.

* Outlook: This series matches two tough defensive teams, but the Spurs are taller, hotter, better rested and they’ll have home-court advantage. Tim Duncan, who took it to another level, averaging 29 points and 11 rebounds against the Lakers, and David Robinson combined to average 41 points in four games against the Trail Blazers, who must put immobile Arvydas Sabonis on one of them and hope for the best. The Trail Blazers reached the finals behind Isaiah Rider and Brian Grant, who averaged a combined 27 points in the regular season but bumped it to 35 in the playoffs. However, Grant is a tough but relatively short power forward at 6-8 and he averaged only 7.3 points against the Spurs this season.

* Prediction: Spurs in five.