"Early Wednesday afternoon, the doors to the Spurs' practice facility opened to a sight sure to lower the blood pressure of skittish fans throughout the Alamo City.

The Big Three, reunited.

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, all of whom had missed games recently with various ailments, were consigned to three separate corners of the gym, practicing free throws.

Granted, it wasn't the most strenuous basketball activity. But the trio's mere presence, together on any court for the first time in more than a week was the surest sign yet the NBA's leading team might soon be back to whole.

"They're getting there," coach Gregg Popovich said after each participated fully in a 90-minute practice session. "We'll see how they look tomorrow."

Popovich opted to keep half his cards close to his chest, saying only Parker and Antonio McDyess — who joined the Big Three in skipping Monday's loss to Portland — would be available for tonight's game against Boston.

Duncan and Ginobili are day-to-day, to be re-evaluated sometime before tipoff today, but all signals seem to point to a full roster for a game that has hit the city limits of "must-win" in the Spurs' chase for a No. 1 playoff seed.

Duncan participated in his first practice since spraining his left ankle March 21 against Golden State, after which Popovich said his longtime captain "looked pretty good."

"He's close," Popovich said. "Just have to make a decision on him."

A season-high four-game losing streak, produced with Duncan out, has left the Spurs just 31/2 games ahead of the red-hot L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference heading down the season's homestretch."