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San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan didn’t score a single point during Saturday’s win over the Houston Rockets, and this was the first time that has ever happened during his career. Yes, that’s right. It took Duncan 19 seasons and 1,359 games to go scoreless in a game.
This is the longest stretch of consecutive games with a point recorded by any player in the NBA ever, and the amazing part is that we didn’t even know about this streak until it was over. That is how consistent Duncan has been during his career. Fans take him for granted.
The Spurs’ 121-103 win this weekend marked the first game in Duncan’s 1,360-game career in which he was held without a point, and San Antonio, of course, dealt with the record in a humorous fashion.
“I just heard,” guard Manu Ginobili said to ESPN after the streak ended. “It’s very unusual, of course, but he didn’t play much. He hadn’t played in a week. If he’s playing until he’s 48, I guess he’s gonna have that a couple more times.”
Duncan only took three attempts and played slightly under 14 minutes in the game because of knee soreness. But head coach Gregg Popovich is probably also just playing it safe with his veteran big man.
The runners-up on the list are impressive. Karl Malone scored in 1,356 consecutive games, Hakeem Olajuwon made it to 1,089, Elvin Hayes to 1,084 games in a row and Michael Jordan went 1,072 straight.
The Spurs have now won 20 games at home this season without a single loss, and that is a streak Duncan would probably prefer over the limelight this record will shed on him. He is such a team player, and he honestly hates when the media makes a big deal about stories like this because of how much larger his goals are. We won’t truly appreciate Duncan until his career is over, and this particular record is one that should stand for quite a long time.
Dave Daniels is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.
