Minus Duncan, Spurs Rally for Another Win Over Jazz

The San Antonio Spurs got a scare when Tim Duncan went down, clutching his left knee. Antonio Daniels and Malik Rose helped cushion the loss.

Daniels scored 13 points and sparked a third-period rally that came without Duncan or David Robinson and carried the Spurs to a 91-83 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night at Salt Lake City.

Daniels made a three-point shot and a layup in a 9-4 run over the last two minutes of the third quarter. The Spurs took the lead for good with Duncan in the locker room having his injured knee examined and Robinson on the bench in foul trouble.

“We did a great job of staying aggressive, constantly attacking the bucket,” Daniels said. “When Utah got into the penalty, we continued to attack them and pin them in situations where they had to foul or give us open shots.”

Duncan was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee, the same knee that required surgery to repair torn cartilage last May, but returned with 9:31 to play. He’ll have tests today to evaluate the injury.

“I was worried, not because of the surgery, but because of the pain level,” he said. “It was a little weak, but I had the opportunity to go back in and play a little bit. After that, it felt pretty good.”

Rose scored 11 points, one of six San Antonio players in double figures.

It was a showdown between teams expected to battle for the Midwest Division title. The Spurs won the first meeting at the Alamodome last month.

Asked whether it mattered that the Jazz had lost twice to the Spurs, Utah guard John Stockton said: “I’m sure it matters, but we can’t do anything about it now except go forward.”

Minnesota 96, Philadelphia 91--Kevin Garnett had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Terrell Brandon added 16 points as the Timberwolves won in overtime at Philadelphia.

The Timberwolves held the 76ers to one field goal in overtime, handing them their first loss in eight games at home this season.

Houston 82, Vancouver 75--Cuttino Mobley scored 16 points as the Rockets overcame a poor shooting performance at Vancouver, Canada.

Steve Francis added 15 points for the Rockets, who won despite making only 41% of their shots.

Phoenix 86, Chicago 80--Cliff Robinson scored 24 points and Jason Kidd had 12 points and 13 assists to lead the Suns at Chicago.