LOS ANGELES (AP) Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs was suspended for one game by the NBA on Monday for pushing an official to the floor.

The two-time league MVP and five-time all-star made contact with Jack Nies in the third quarter of the Spurs' loss Saturday night to the Golden State Warriors.

Duncan was setting a pick near the Spurs' 3-point line as Nies was trying to untangle himself from another player. Duncan cut to the high post, put both hands on the official to clear some room, and Nies tumbled to the floor. The official quickly got up and called a technical.

``Circumstances and facts have to be considered in each case, and I think that clearly, here, it's obvious that the contact was both inadvertent and accidental,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before San Antonio's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. ``To be suspended, the rule states that it's got to be intentional contact. So whether you want to speak intellectually, philosophically, factually, there's absolutely no support for such a decision. It's just a bad decision. It's absurd.''

Popovich said his star player was surprised by the league's decision.

``Tim was shocked,'' Popovich said. ``I mean, he almost let out a laugh, like `Are you kidding me?' It was just like a funny incident to the fans, and nothing was written about it. He was flabbergasted.''

Duncan, also the series MVP when the Spurs won the NBA title last spring, was out of the lineup against the Clippers.