Duncan Returns, Does Little, Spurs Still Win

The NBA Closer is still written by me. I only kept this awkward italicized intro here so I could link to The Basketball Jones podcast. Why? Because hits brings a big ol' smile to Tas' face. Enjoy!

• Know Your Role. With Parker out checking TMZ.com for his name and Duncan still rusty from a four-game absence, it was up to San Antonio's supporting cast to hold down the fort. Spoiler warning: they did! Michael Finley and Fabricio Oberto each scored a season high 21 points to help the champs beat the Nuggets 102-91 and improve to 13-0 at home. Tim Duncan finsihed with just eight points. A.I. led Denver with 30. The Celtics (12-0) are the only other team in the L with a perfect home record.

• Spicy Win. Eddy Curry has finally had enough [pause, pause] Halloween candy! Yuck, yuck, yuck. Curry scored 23 points, a night after going scoreless in 13 minutes against the Bulls, as the Knicks beat the Nets 94-86 to snap a five-game losing streak. Jamal Crawford led NYC with a season-high 32 points; Vince scored the same for the NJ. But the best part from last night's game: Even with the Knicks' comfortably ahead, a group of fans started chanting "Fire Isiah!" in the closing minutes. That's dedication.

• DS Still Can't Feel His Face. Seriously. It's beyond numb at this point. DeShawn Stevenson had 19 points, including another five 3-pointers, to lead the short-handed Wizards past the Kings, 92-79. Already missing — or not missing? — Gil, Washington announced earlier in the day that backup Antonio Daniels will also be out for the next two-to-four weeks with a sprained MCL. Stevenson has now made 15 deep balls over the last three games ... one-handed.

• Mo'sepher Son Of The Morning. When Morris Peterson played for the Raps, my friends and I would sing that headline every time he hit a three. "Mo'sepher son of the morning." I have no idea how it started or why we sang it, but it was catchy and fun to yell. That's my story. Mo-Pete scored 21 for New Orleans, connecting on 4 of 6 3-point attempts, and Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists to lift the Hornets over the Suns, 101-98. Rasual Butler also hit four triples for The Buzz.