RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Now that he no longer worries
about his left leg, Tim Duncan can concentrate on his game.
|  | | Spurs forward Tim Duncan, left, and the Grizzlies' Stromile Swift fight for a loose ball. |
Duncan scored a season-high 30 points Sunday and the San Antonio
Spurs romped to 97-79 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies.
"I found my shot in the second half. I had an opportunity to
put a couple up and they went for me. I feel a lot better," Duncan
said.
The 7-foot center tore cartilage in his left knee last season
that sidelined him until play began this fall. While he has played
in all of San Antonio's 15 games this season, he was still worried
about the leg.
"We're lucky to have him," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of
Duncan. "He's just beginning to get into a flow. He's just
beginning to believe in his leg, get his quickness back and his
timing back, and that's sure nice to see."
It was the first time a Spurs player had scored 30 points this
season. Duncan also secured his 14th double-double in 16 games with
10 rebounds.
"I'm a little better every day," Duncan said. "I'm getting
back to 100 percent and I'm hoping to stay there."
Sean Elliot tied his season high with 19 points, including five
3-pointers, for San Antonio, while David Robinson had 11.
"Sean's been huge all around, especially on the defensive
end," said Duncan. "He's been working really hard. And he's been
hitting the open shots."
"I've always felt like I can shoot the ball well from beyond
the arc," said Elliott. "I'm getting some good looks and I
understand the offense better than, say, three or four years ago.
Also, the guys know where I'm at. They call me The Roach because
I'm always in the corner. They find me in the corner and they know
that I'm there."
Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 16 points and 11 rebounds and reserve
Grant Long tied a season high with 16 points as the Grizzlies lost
their second straight home game.
The Spurs had lost their previous two games and won for just the
third time in eight road games this season.
"We have not played well on the road," Popovich said. "We've
been great at home and we've been poor on the road, very honestly.
So it was nice to put it together."
San Antonio closed the game with a 15-5 run in the last 5:36.
The Spurs were outrebounded 31-16 in the first half and had no
offensive rebounds. It was the first time in Grizzlies history an
opponent was shut out on the offensive boards in a half.
San Antonio regrouped in the third period, holding a 20-4
rebounding edge. By game's end, the two teams each had snared 41
rebounds.
"They were very aggressive to the boards and we weren't,"
Robinson said about the Grizzlies' first half. "We weren't as
active. I thought the first five minutes of the game we started out
pretty active, but then it slowed down. We're such a big team that
it seems that we would get there, but we'd end up standing a lot
watching each other. In the second half the activity was a lot
better."
The Grizzlies dropped to 6-11, going 2-9 in their last 11 games.
"When you start to struggle, you start to think about it a lot
and you just have to let it start falling," said Grizzlies point
guard Mike Bibby, who shot just 3-for-11 with nine points and six
assists.
The Grizzlies went 3-for-15 to start the second quarter and were
down 31-23 with 5:11 left in the half. But they outscored the Spurs
11-4 and drew to 35-34 after two periods.
Game notes
The Spurs hold a 18-3 overall advantage over the Grizzlies,
including the last 13 games against Vancouver. San Antonio has won
the last eight games in Vancouver. ... Vancouver shot 38.8 percent
for the game and the Spurs shot 54.7 percent.
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NBA Scoreboard
San Antonio Clubhouse
Vancouver Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 96
LA Clippers 87
Milwaukee 92
Indiana 80
San Antonio 97
Vancouver 79
Detroit 93
Washington 87
Phoenix 84
Portland 79
Seattle 118
Golden State 102
LA Lakers 99
Dallas 97
AUDIO/VIDEO
 The Spurs' Antonio Daniels finds Tim Duncan for the jam.
avi: 427 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Antonio Daniels steals the ball and takes it the distance.
avi: 507 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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