After an embarassing Game 1 lost, the San Antonio Spurs bounced back to defeat the Nuggets 104-76.

The game was virtually over after the first 24 minutes, leading by 31 at the half.

Tim Duncan had 24 points and 9 rebounds, while Tony Parker scored 19 points, responding to criticism regarding his playoff focus.

Denver couldn't get going offensively at all, shooting 36% from the field.

Game 1 hero Andre Miller scored just 11 points.

Everybody seems to be talking about how San Antonio missed 17 straight shots in the fourth quarter and not about the fact that Denver came from behind to beat the #2 seed Spurs.

"Nobody's mentioning us," Nuggets center Marcus Camby said Tuesday. "We're taking that to heart and going out and playing hard. We're just going to go out there and win games."

Tonight the Nuggets will have a chance to go back to Denver with a 2-0 lead in this best of seven series.

The Denver Nuggets carried their 2nd half surge into the playoffs, defeating the San Antonio Spurs by a final score of 93-87.  The Spurs missed 17 straight shots during the 4th quarter.

Andre Miller had a very impressive 31 points, while Marcus Camby had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Tim Duncan, still bothered by a bum ankle, had 18 points and 11 rebounds.  Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 23 points.  Nazr Mohammed had 15 points and 15 rebounds, playing for the injured Rasho Nesterovic.

Game 2 represents a must win for the Spurs, who would be in dire trouble if the series went to Denver trailing 0-2.

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl has given forward Eduardo Najera the green light to play in tonight?s Game 1 versus the San Antonio Spurs.

"He bricked a couple of jump shots," Karl teased. "But right now I think he wants to be out there, and somewhere along the way I will give him a couple of minutes."

Wearing padding on his shooting hand, Najera said, "Every day it gets better. I can move it a little bit better. Obviously painkillers are working pretty good. I think I can go."

Eduardo Najera has a broken bone in his right hand, but George Karl has given him his approval to appear in Game 1 at San Antonio.

"He bricked a couple of jump shots," Karl teased. "But right now I think he wants to be out there, and somewhere along the way I will give him a couple of minutes."

Wearing padding on his shooting hand, Najera said, "Every day it gets better. I can move it a little bit better. Obviously painkillers are working pretty good. I think I can go."

Rasho Nesterovic and Devin Brown of the Spurs are also battling injuries, but they aren't expected to be available for Game 1.

Voshon Lenard did not make the Nuggets playoff roster despite looking good in the team's last two regular season games.

It is likey that Coach George Karl didn't seem to want to take a chance on messing up the club's chemistry. DerMarr Johnson has played well at shooting guard and it's possible Lenard has played his last game in Denver.

The Nuggets completed the regular season with an improbable 49 wins by beating the Portland Trailblazers by a final score of 119-115.

Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points to go along with his 13 rebounds.

``It all starts now, the playoffs,'' Anthony said.

The Blazers' Darius Miles scored a career-high 47 points.

``My teammates were getting me the ball,'' Miles said. ``I didn't even look at the scoreboard until I had 44. I didn't know how many points I had at the half, and guys were saying I could score 50. I thought, I'm not going to score 30 more points. I thought I had like, 20.''

Eduardo Najera broke a bone in his right hand late in Monday's loss to the Phoenix Suns.

The Nuggets said his status for the first-round playoff series against San Antonio would be determined later in the week.

Najera has averaged five points in 25 games since the Nuggets acquired him from Golden State.

Joe Johnson scored 26 points on Monday to lead the Suns to a 128-114 win over the Denver Nuggets.

``Joe just killed them,'' Phoenix guard Steve Nash said. ``He got open and was just nailing 3s. There are so many weapons on our team, when a perimeter shooter makes shots like that, the finishers we have inside are very difficult to contend with.''

The win gives the Suns homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.  Playing four out of seven games in Phoenix will undoubtedly be crucial to the Suns, particularly if they face the Spurs, who are 38-3 at home this season and versus the Heat, who are 34-6.

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Nuggets have a chance to go down in the history books of the NBA.  Sitting at 24-3, the Nuggets currently hold the best post All-Star record in NBA history.  

The 1996-97 Utah Jazz went 31-4 after the All-Star break, the 1999-00 L.A. Lakers went 30-4, while the 1984-85 L.A. Lakers went 27-4.  Therefore, if the Nuggets can win their final two games, they will solidify the best second half record ever in the NBA.  

As a footnote, each of the three other teams listed made it to the NBA Finals during the season listed.