Coach Gregg Popovich suggested that Duncan's absence from Monday's 120-90 loss to the Warriors due to what was described as right knee soreness

Coach Gregg Popovich suggested that Duncan's absence from Monday's 120-90 loss to the Warriors due to what was describe as right knee soreness was more than just a maintenance day for the 39-year-old, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Analysis:

Duncan had actually made the trip with the Spurs to Oakland after playing 21 minutes in Friday's win over the Lakers, but headed back to San Antonio on Saturday to address the sore knee. The future Hall of Famer has experienced issues with his left knee throughout his career, but this is the first season he's been troubled by the right knee, which also cost him three games in December. The Spurs will have to wait and see if the day off Monday provided Duncan with enough recovery time in advance of Wednesday's game against the Rockets, but if not, David West would likely get another look in a starting role.