"As Tim Duncan lay sprawled on the AT&T Center floor in the first quarter Monday, clutching his newly sprained left ankle, Antonio McDyess couldn't help but wonder how it all might affect the Spurs' race for the NBA's top overall seed.

Tiago Splitter thought it was a pretty crummy way to get the kind of playing time he's been wanting all season.

Gregg Popovich declined to divulge the specifics of his internal monologue but admitted "it wasn't flowers and lollipops."

The timing of Duncan's injury, suffered early in the Spurs' 111-96 victory over Golden State, could have been better. But it also could have been worse.

"We can win without Timmy in the rest of the regular season and get that top seed," Tony Parker said. "But we're not going anywhere in the playoffs without him."

With a seven-game lead over the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference, and 12 games to play, the Spurs' stranglehold on the top spot isn't in much jeopardy, even with their All-Star big man in street clothes for the near future.

Duncan injured the ankle 4:13 into the second quarter when he landed awkwardly on Ekpe Udoh's foot after completing a layup, and he had to be helped off the floor.

X-rays were negative on Duncan's ankle, and the initial prognosis — as reported on the team's TV broadcast — calls for about two weeks on the shelf."