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Blazers nudge past Spurs

PORTLAND — Michael Finley’s shot at the buzzer for San Antonio rimmed out and the Portland Trail Blazers edged the Spurs 100-99 Friday night.

With the score tied at 93, Brandon Roy hit a pull-up jumper for the Blazers, but San Antonio’s Roger Mason answered with a 22-footer to tie it again.

After Rudy Fernandez missed one of two free throws, Tony Parker’s reverse layup with 1:29 left gave the Spurs their first lead of the second half at 97-96.

Roy made a pair of foul shots to put the Blazers in front before LaMarcus Aldridge hit a shot from the top of the key to make it 100-97 with 35 seconds left.

After Parker hit a pair of free throws, Travis Outlaw’s bank shot for the Blazers missed. Mason took the ball to the other end and appeared to have a clear path to the basket — but he passed off to Finley, who missed at the buzzer sounded.

Roy had 26 points and seven assists for the Blazers, who were without center Greg Oden. The 7-foot rookie sprained his right foot in the season opener at the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Parker had 24 points and 11 assists.

The Spurs lost their home opener, 103-93 to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. San Antonio has had to adjust to playing without Manu Ginobili, who had offseason ankle surgery and wasn’t expected to return until December.

The Spurs were also without forward Fabricio Oberto for the second game because of treatment for an irregular heartbeat.

Portland went up 38-33 in the first half on Nicolas Batum’s 3-pointer, but the Blazers could not extend the lead until the final minute, when Roy’s layup made it 48-42.

Roy’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer was judged good and Portland took a 51-45 lead into the break.

Roy hit a 21-foot jumper and the Blazers entered the final quarter with a 78-70 lead.

While Oden’s injury diminished some of the expectations surrounding the young Blazers, one fan in the sellout crowd lofted a sign that read “I never stopped believing.”

Channing Frye hit a jumper to give the Blazers their biggest lead at 82-72, then followed with a dunk. But Ime Udoka and Mason each answered with a 3-pointer, and Duncan made a layup to narrow it to 84-80 for the Spurs.

Finley’s 3-pointer with just more than four minutes left pulled the Spurs to 89-88. San Antonio went on to tie it at 93 on Parker’s layup with three minutes left.

The Spurs had won the past 12 games against the Blazers.

Oden, who expected to be out two to four weeks, had a boot on his foot but did not have a noticeable limp when he arrived at the Rose Garden. He watched the game in street clothes from the bench.

Portland lost to the Lakers 96-76 on Tuesday night.

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