Manu Ginobili scored 30 points in 34 minutes and Nazr Mohammed added 14
rebounds -- 12 in the first half -- as the San Antonio Spurs clinched the
Southwest Division title Tuesday night with a 95-89 victory over the
Portland Trail Blazers.
It's the fourth division title in the past five years for the Spurs.
San Antonio won the Midwest Division title before the league realigned
prior to this season.
Portland has lost 15 of its last 16 games and 21 of its past 23. The
Trail Blazers are 3-19 under coach Kevin Pritchard who replaced the fired
Maurice Cheeks on March 2.
The Spurs have won five of six games. They are 8-4 without Tim Duncan,
who sprained his right ankle and hasn't played since March 20.
San Antonio never trailed Portland and went on a 15-2 run over a 5:54
stretch late in the second quarter to lead 48-30 at halftime.
Portland cut San Antonio's lead to seven points with 34 seconds left in
the third quarter but could not get any closer until Joel Pryzbilla made
an uncontested layup with .9
seconds left.
The Spurs broke open a one-point game late in the first quarter and
turned it into an eight-point lead at the end of the quarter after
Portland forward Darius Miles left the game with a sore neck. Before he
left the game, Miles was 4-of-6 from the field and scored eight points in
the previous 3:26.
Miles, who was grabbing at the back of his neck, didn't return to the
game until 6:38 into the third quarter with the Spurs ahead by 15 points.
Miles' free throw with 6:56 left cut San Antonio's lead to seven.
Miles led the Trail Blazers with 18 points in 19 minutes.
The Spurs outrebounded Portland 20-10 in the first quarter.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-13 16:00
