After easily defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs (15-10) hosted the Portland 
Trail Blazers (18-12). The Blazers came into the game a wounded team. Key players such as Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Nicholas Batum and Joel Pryzbilla were out due to injuries. Even Blazers’ Brandon Roy came into the game injured (shoulder) and did not play for the Blazers.
However, the Spurs have lost to this Blazers team (96-84) early on in the season. The Spurs also came in with injured players as well. Matt Bonner and Mike Finley say out due to injuries.
So how did the Spurs do against a depleted Blazers team? This is how it went down in San Antonio.
First Quarter:
The Spurs started with Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson, DeJuan Blair, Keith Bogans and Tony Parker.
The Spurs started with an alley-oop pass from Parker to RJ for a quick two. And it didn’t end there, Parker again tossed an alley-oop pass to RJ for a nice dunk. However, RJ picked up a technical foul for arguing with the ref on a non-call. Parker then got into the lane for a basket in the paint. RJ was aggressive early in the game. After the two alley-oops made, he drove into the lane to pick up a foul on the Blazers. However this Blazers team still was putting up a fight and at the 7:00 point of the quarter it was 14-10, Blazers in the lead.
Blazers’ Bayless was steadying the Blazers and hit a three right out of a timeout. Antonio 
McDyess checked into the game and hit a perimeter shot. Parker then got the “and 1” while driving in the paint and picked up the foul on Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge. McDyess and Blazers’ rookie Jeff Pendergraph had some choice words for each other as they both picked up technical fouls. Then George Hill hit a corner three to tie the game at 24 at the 2:24 point of the quarter.
Blazers’ Steve Blake then hit a shot to break the tie with the Spurs. The Spurs were simply not grabbing the rebounds and turning the ball over in the quarter. At the end of the first it was 28-24, Blazers with the lead.
Spurs committed five turnovers, shot 64% from the floor, and shot 5-5 from the free-throw line. The Spurs got out rebounded 11-5 in the first. Leading the way for the Spurs was Parker with seven points.
Second Quarter:
Spurs started with Hill, Mason, McDyess, Blair and Ginobili.
McDyess got the block on Blazers’ Juwan Howard and Blair on the other end got the layup in the paint. However, Blazers’ Bayless then got the layup in the paint to take the lead back from the Spurs. Key early on in the game was Blazers’ Aldridge picking up his third foul and at the 8:50 point of the quarter it was 32-29, Blazers with the lead.
Not good. Turnovers crept back for the Spurs. Already the Spurs committed eight turnovers. This kept the Blazers in the game as well as the Blazers out rebounding the Spurs so far in the game.
Finally the Spurs started to go to Duncan in the middle. With no Oden or Pryzbilla, the Spurs were feeding Duncan in the post and Duncan was causing the Blazers’ defenders to commit fouls. At the 5:00 point of the quarter it was 39-36, Spurs with the lead.
RJ hit a tough shot over a Blazers defender but Blazers’ Bayless was hot from the field and was hitting shots to keep the Blazers in the game. Blazers’ Martell Webster hit a corner three and just like that the Blazers took the lead. RJ then came down and hit a mid-range shot to tie the game. However, Blazers’ Webster hit another three to take the lead back for the Blazers. Bayless continued to be hot for the Blazers as he had 10 points in the quarter. Ginobili then hit a basket at the buzzer and at halftime it was 48-47, Blazers with the lead.
Spurs shot 52% so far in the game. They also shot 93% from the free-throw line. The Spurs committed 10 turnovers. Spurs went 2-8 from the three-point line. Blazers out rebounded the Spurs 19-18. Leading the way for the Spurs was Duncan with 14 points at the half.
Third Quarter:
Spurs started with Duncan, Blair, Jefferson, Bogans, and Parker.
Out of the gate, RJ attacks the rim and picks up the foul to go to the line. He hit both free-throws and the Spurs took the one-point lead. Blazers’ Juwan Howard hit the shot on the other end and the Blazers took the lead back. RJ then drove into the lane for a nice dunk on the Blazers. Parker got into the lane off a pass from Duncan for an easy two. Parker then hit an outside shot to keep the Spurs in the game. Blazers’ Andre Miller then 
started to cause some havoc for the Spurs off the screen-and-roll and was getting to the rim. The Blazers just would not stop. Blazers’ Bayless was constantly getting in the lane, they were out rebounding the Spurs and hitting their shots to maintain their slim lead. At the 6:53 point of the quarter it was 62-55, Blazers with the lead.
Blazers went on a run, 8-0, to keep the lead over the Spurs. Manu ended the Blazers’ run with a three-point shot made. Blazers continued to pour it on the Spurs in the quarter. They were hitting their shots while the Spurs were executing on the offensive end poorly.
Mason then hit a three for the Spurs. Manu then drove in the lane for a bucket and Duncan hit a shot in the paint but it was still not enough for the Spurs and at the end of the third it was 75-69, Blazers with the lead.
Spurs shot 50% from the floor, 25% from the three-point line and 94% from the free-throw line so far in the game. They committed 12 turnovers so far and were out rebounded 28-25 by the Blazers. Leading the way for the Spurs was RJ and Duncan both with 16 points.
Fourth Quarter:
Spurs started with Mason, Hill, Ginobili, Duncan and Jefferson.
Mason started things off for the Spurs with a three point shot. Duncan then hit another shot in the paint to bring the Spurs to within three. Mason was starting to feel it from the floor as he hit another shot from the field. Duncan then got a dunk on Blazers’ Pendergraph and at the 9:26 point of the quarter it was 79-78, Blazers with the lead.
Blazers’ Bayless was getting in the lane too easily as he was scoring at the rim or setting up teammates for easy shots. The Spurs kept getting within three and the Blazers kept answering back. The Blazers extended the lead to seven points and at the 5:50 point of the quarter it 
was 87-80, Blazers with the lead.
The Blazers were just playing with confidence. Bayless and Aldridge just were too much for the Spurs. Bayless was penetrating into the Spurs defense and Aldridge could just not miss from the field. However, Mason then hit a three, Parker hit a shot and RJ made a layup for the Spurs and at the 2:42 point of the quarter it was 91-87, Blazers with the lead.
Bayless was having a career night for the Blazers. He hit a three to push back the Spurs. Then Parker on the other end got the “and 1” and hit the free-throw. Duncan then hit a shot from a pass from Mason to get the Spurs within two with 26 seconds left.
The Spurs did everything to stop the Blazers in the final seconds of the game. Bayless missed the shot but the Spurs could not get the rebound. Spurs fouled Andre Miller, he hit the free-throws. Final score 98-94.
Spurs record is now 15-11. They will next play the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee.
Shiny Spur Award: Tim Duncan
Rusty Spur Award: Keith Bogans
Notes:
- Main reason the Spurs lost was due to offensive rebounding. The Blazers won that battle 11-6. Overall the Blazers out rebounded the Spurs 36-33.
- Spurs were led by Duncan with 24 points and 11 rebounds. After having two great games for the Spurs, Bogans had a terrible night going scoreless with just two rebounds.
- Spurs committed 14 turnovers, shot 51% form the floor, went 6-21 from the three-point line, and shot 94% from the free-throw line.
- Blazers Jerryd Bayless had a career game scoring 31 points.
- Spurs bench scored 30 points led by Mason with 16 points.
- The Spurs lose to another quality team. Spurs are 2-9 against above .500 teams this season.
- Disappointing loss for the Spurs. The Blazers were only playing eight players and the Spurs still lost. Aside from the rebounding issue, the Spurs played with no sense of urgency and no killer instinct. This was a depleted Blazers team and the Spurs didn’t put them away early. With no Oden or Pryzbilla, the Spurs failed to exploit the middle.
