Notebook

SAN ANTONIO - Tim Duncan's strained abdominal muscle is not torn, meaning the All-Star forward might be able to keep alive his streak of never missing an NBA game.

Duncan, listed as day to day, will travel with the San Antonio Spurs for a three-game road trip and there is a chance he will play tomorrow night in Charlotte.

While the Spurs' reserves practiced yesterday and the rest of the team took the day off, Duncan took a magnetic resonance imaging test on his lower abdomen and began rehab, which includes workouts in a pool.

Duncan has played in 185 consecutive regular-season games during his three years in the league. Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers had an abdominal strain during the 1997-98 season and missed 21 games.

Duncan left early in the second quarter of Monday's 98-89 loss to Phoenix. There did not appear to be any unusual contact that might have caused an injury.

"He just came over and said that I needed to sub for him," Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said. "Then I knew right away that something was wrong. I didn't need to question him what was wrong. I just got him out of there."

If Duncan is sidelined, San Antonio is expected to give additional playing time to Malik Rose, with David Robinson picking up his offensive game. Robinson had 31 points and 18 rebounds, and Rose scored 17 points on Monday.

"If we play the way we did last night then we'll be in good shape," Popovich said. "It'd be great to shoot a little bit better. But the effort and the defense and the execution, I'm really proud of."

Guard Antonio Daniels, Duncan's closest friend on the team, sprained his left wrist during Monday night's game and also is listed as day to day. He will make the upcoming road trip and could play tomorrow.

Hornets activate Recasner

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Eldridge Recasner, Charlotte Hornet guard who has missed all 52 games this season after being injured in an automobile accident, was activated today.

The former Washington Husky replaces Brad Miller, who was placed on the injured list yesterday after tearing cartilage in his left knee. Miller, who will undergo surgery tomorrow, will be sidelined for up to six weeks.

Recasner fractured his right shoulder and suffered a partially collapsed lung Oct. 27 in an accident while riding in a car driven by teammate Derrick Coleman.

Jamison likely out for season

MINNEAPOLIS - Antawn Jamison, Golden State Warriors forward, is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in Los Angeles.

Jamison, who leads the Warriors in scoring (19.6) and is second in rebounding (8.3), sprained his left knee on Feb. 4 but played three more games before aggravating the injury on Feb. 9 against Miami.

Jamison will be on crutches for the next few days before beginning a rehabilitation program.

"I don't want to speculate. Let's see how the therapy goes," Coach Garry St. Jean said. "The key is that everything went well and he'll be ready for the summer program as well as next year."

Mourning to forgo mask

MIAMI - Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning had his broken nose reset, and he'll play today without a mask against the New Jersey Nets.

Mourning caught an elbow from Michael Curry that broke his nose early in the fourth quarter of Monday's 95-87 loss at Detroit. Mourning missed only 3 minutes, returning to the game after the bleeding stopped.

"It's all in here, baby," Mourning said, pointing to his heart.

Notes

-- Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers was fined $5,000 by the NBA for directing obscene language at fans during Saturday's game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. In the third quarter of Indiana's 87-73 loss to New York, Miller reacted to a chant directed at him by fans. Miller sat out the fourth quarter of the game.

-- The New York Knicks, reacting to a boycott of South Carolina by the NAACP until the Confederate flag is removed from the Statehouse dome, said it would pull its playoff training camp out of Charleston this season.

-- A medical test revealed that New Jersey Nets center Jayson Williams has regained 70 percent of the strength in his right leg, which was broken last season in a collision with teammate Stephon Marbury. Williams is targeting March 7 for his return to practice.