Two years ago Tim Duncan's knee broke. The minds of others followed,

If Duncan were a man, more than one in the media said, he'd strap the assorted pieces together with bailing wire and play.

Grant Hill did just that then with an aching ankle, and the ensuing damage has limited him to about a dozen games since. For Duncan, dragging a knee that would require an operation made no sense. It made less for the franchise to suggest Duncan play.

Duncan desperately wanted to play then, especially as he watched the Spurs go down in the first round. And what he heard and read then bothered him.

This time, with Duncan missing Game 4 to mourn the death of his father, a few radio talk shows found a similar theme. Creativity has often been an issue in this field.

But this time was different. This time the issue wasn't a knee, but a soul. This time playing wasn't dangerous, but instead calming.