Loved the Trail Blazer defense most of the game. They did a nice job stopping what the Spurs do best, ganged up nicely on Tim Duncan (who, by the way, isn’t moving a lot like Tim Duncan used to move) and after a slow start, held their own on the boards.

Loved the big play that resulted in Martell Webster’s open three-pointer that (should have) sealed the game. Andre Miller got great penetration, found Nic Batum in the corner, who didn’t hesitate in getting the ball to Webster, who had plenty of time to get his feet under him and settle into his three-pointer.

It was a smart play by smart players.

I didn’t like the misses at the foul line late. I expected more from Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge than that.

All in all, though, big game for the team to win against a Western Conference rival. A couple of other thoughts:

– The Spurs look so old and broken down. Their stars have so many miles on them.

– I think Batum is much more effective playing with Miller. His game is moving without the ball and Miller looks for him. I think, too, he’d fit better in a motion offense, rather than the standing-around stuff the Blazers do while watching pick-and-roll isolations.

– Huge game from Juwan Howard that was mostly overlooked by the media. He hasn’t made shots like that in a while.

– Brandon Roy needs to get back soon. I’m not sure how much longer the team is going to be able to hang on without him. Points are getting hard to come by.

– That may have been the Spurs’ A game last night. Not sure they have a whole lot left. They defend well at times, really well. But they can’t seem to do it consistently for the entire game. The energy just may not be there any more. Those guys have a lot of mileage on them from all those deep playoff runs.

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Wednesday night’s triumph was a monster for the Trail Blazers. Hey, it was nothing like beating the Spurs with a healthy Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, but it was a win at San Antonio on national TV with much at stake.

Great play off the bench again from just about everybody. And this was one time when being a young team was a great attribute. San Antonio shot its wad in the first quarter and didn’t have much left after that. Portland got better as the game went on.

It was sad to see Duncan dragging his sore knees up and down the court. Man, he’s in some serious pain. And the Spurs don’t have a lot left when he leaves the court. Just a week ago, I still figured a first-round matchup with the Spurs was something you wouldn’t want to mess with. But that was before Ginobili was ruled out and the true extent of Duncan’s knees was known.

Right now, San Antonio looks like a beautifully wrapped gift into the second round of the playoffs for anybody who finds the Spurs as their opening-round matchup. And that well could be the Blazers — just let the Rockets slip into third, finish fourth and hope the Spurs drop into the fifth spot.

That’s as good as it could get for the Trail Blazers.

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Greg Popovich has rested Tim Duncan on the second of back-to-back games often this year, but probably won’t do so tonight. Duncan went only 33 minutes last night in the Spurs’ win over Oklahoma City so he should have something in the tank for tonight.

If San Antonio can win, I believe it pretty much locks Portland out of the top half of the Western Conference bracket. With tough home games against the Lakers and Nuggets (unless the seedings are all settled and the Nuggets take it easy next week), the Blazers will have their hands full improving their positioning without winning this one.

Isn’t a game like this — second of back-to-backs for both teams, late in the season — an example of a case when having a young, deep team should pay off a little? Hard for me to imagine that Duncan and Tony Parker and some of the other San Antonio graybeards can be very fresh tonight.

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It’s not just that Greg Oden has to play Andrew Bynum in the Staples Center on opening night of the NBA season. That’s fine. Bring it on, I guess.

But how about this: The guy meets Tim Duncan Friday night. Shaq Saturday, Yao the following Thursday and Dwight Howard the Monday after that. After a pretty soft exhibition season, Oden opens the season with Murderer’s Row.

“Look what the league has done to him,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said Monday. “It’s a marketing thing. He goes up against the best right away. But he’s ready. He’s healthy. But people are saying this is Bynum’s breakout season and he’s in what — his fourth season? Greg’s a rookie and it’s supposed to be his breakout season.”

It comes with the territory, though. “Big guys, big expectations,” McMillan said.

Oden says he’s watched a lot of tape of Bynum. “He’s good — big and strong, you don’t want him under the basket,” Oden said.

Oden said he went through practice with great care Monday. He’s this close to starting his first NBA season and he didn’t want anything to derail it. “I wasn’t making any quick movements,” he said with a smile.

At some point, the Oden vs. Bynum matchups are going to be nationally televised every time they meet up. It’s the two best young pure centers in the game. I would guess, though, that right now Bynum would be significantly ahead. That’s fine, too. Oden needs someone to chase in the beginning of his career. It will push him. In a year, though, it’s going to be a war whenever they match up.

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