Father’s Death to Keep Duncan Out of Game 4

Tim Duncan will miss tonight’s Game 4 of the San Antonio Spurs’ playoff series against the Seattle SuperSonics because of the death of his father, leaving the team without both of its seven-footers.

David Robinson will not play for the third consecutive playoff game after straining his lower back late in the regular season.

Duncan left Monday’s practice early after hearing that his father, William, had been hospitalized after a long illness. He died later that day in North Carolina.

San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich said that Duncan “will rejoin the team as soon as he can.”

The Spurs have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 5, if necessary, would be Friday at San Antonio.

The Spurs may also be without reserve forward Danny Ferry, listed as doubtful because of a sprained right wrist.

Forwards Malik Rose and Mark Bryant have filled in for Robinson. The only other big man available is 6-foot-11 Cherokee Parks, who has had injury problems of his own and has played sparingly this season.

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Seattle guard Gary Payton was chosen to the NBA All-Defensive first team for a record-tying ninth time.

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant made the second team.

Michael Jordan is the only other player to match Payton’s feat.

Payton is joined on the first team by New Jersey guard Jason Kidd, forward-center Ben Wallace of Detroit, and forwards Duncan and Kevin Garnett of Minnesota.

The team was selected by the NBA’s 29 coaches, who weren’t allowed to vote for their own players.

Wallace, the NBA’s defensive player of the year, led the voting--receiving 51 of a possible 56 points. Payton received 47, Duncan 40, Kidd 37 and Garnett 27.

Others on the second team were Sacramento guard Doug Christie, Philadelphia center Dikembe Mutombo, San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen and Detroit forward-center Clifford Robinson.

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Russ Granik, deputy NBA commissioner, said the Hornets’ move from Charlotte to New Orleans looks “pretty positive.”

“Our relocation committee should have its report out by the end of this week,” Granik said. “And we’ll announce what the outcome is. Based on what we’ve seen in New Orleans, unless there are some real surprises, it looks like there is a great deal of support there.”

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Though they usually meet in late August, Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller said he plans to meet with John Stockton, 40, in the next two or three weeks to learn whether the future Hall of Fame point guard will return for a 19th season.

Miller said the team needs a quicker decision because of its seven free agents.

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Former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo will run a workout today for NBA team officials in Chicago for potential top draft pick Yao Ming, a 7-5 Chinese center.