The San Antonio Spurs know that Tim Duncan is out. They also know that he's on crutches for now. Other than that, the Spurs have no definite answer as to when he will be back.
Duncan had an MRI test on Tuesday after an injury to his left ankle during the Spurs victory over Golden State on Monday night. He came out of the MRI with no signs of structural damage to his sprained ankle. The Spurs hope to have a better estimate for his return later this week.
"It structurally looks good," general manager R.C. Buford said Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. "We will have a better idea of what the timeline is in the next 48 hours."
What the Spurs do know, however, is that they will be without their All-Star forward for at least the next three games.
Ducan's injury occurred early in Monday's game when he took a short jumper and came down awkwardly on his ankle, making Spurs fans and management very nervous.
"There's a lot of frustration," Buford said. "But I think he's pretty tough and you guys saw him on the court."
Buford said Duncan's ankle is between a grade one and two sprain.
While Duncan's offensive contributions are down at least in terms of his averages, he's still been a key component for a Spurs team that has the best record in the NBA.
"That was the first thing going through my head: Could we lose a lot of games and give up the first spot [in the West]?" Spurs forward Antonio McDyess said. "With Tim down, that's a big loss."
The Spurs currently hold the top seed in the West, 57-13, with a seven-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers with 12 games remaining in the season.
