Spurs lose Duncan in an easy victory

SAN ANTONIO -- When Tony Parker saw teammate Tim Duncan on the court clutching his knee, two things went through his mind.

First, he hoped it wasn’t as bad as it looked. Second, the team had to maintain its focus, even though it didn’t know how bad the damage was to San Antonio’s star player.

As it turned out, Duncan’s injury doesn’t appear to be season-ending, and Parker and the Spurs kept their mind on the game, coasting to a 100-79 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

“It looked bad at first,” said Parker, who had 27 points and eight assists. “There were still like eight minutes left in the second quarter, so we just had to keep playing, keep playing and then whatever happens, happens.”

Duncan bruised his right knee and sprained his right ankle in the first half and did not return to the game. The team said that all of Duncan’s ligaments appeared stable but that he would undergo an MRI exam today.

The Spurs said Duncan will miss some playing time, though they weren’t sure how much.

With 7:40 left in the first half, Duncan got caught up with Portland’s James Jones and fell to the court clutching his knee near the Spurs’ basket. Duncan left the court helped by teammates Francisco Elson and Robert Horry.

Duncan had been struggling with his shot and finished with two points on one-for-seven shooting.