But so thorough was the Portland Trail Blazers' 102-84 domination of the Spurs, most of the spectators who hadn't already opted for a head start out of the parking garages managed to keep the thing going on five round trips.

"I thought we were playing in Europe," Thomas said. "It was very impressive."

Spurs captain Tim Duncan had another take on the throwback cheer, which began with 3:40 remaining in what became the Spurs' second straight loss.

"I think they were bored," he said.

Sunday's game lost drama early in the second quarter. Having made 14 of their 24 shots in the first period, when they matched the highest opening-quarter point total of the season against the Spurs, the Blazers made their first five shots of the second.

By the time Duncan went to the foul line for a pair of free throws with 7:20 left in the first half, the Spurs still were waiting for their first points of the period and Portland led by 25.

Former UT star LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 of his game-high 26 points by intermission. He and fellow high scorer Brandon Roy weren't needed much in the second half. Aldridge played only the first minute-and-a-half of the fourth quarter.

Duncan was playing for the first time in a week, and the effect his return had on his teammates was open for debate. The Spurs had beaten the Blazers in San Antonio on Wednesday without him.

"Maybe, in the back of our minds, we thought that would carry over," said guard Roger Mason Jr. "We have to realize the Blazers are playing great at home, and they're going to be amped up for the game."

Mostly, the Blazers were intent on keeping Tony Parker from replicating his Wednesday night production, when he scored 39 points and handed out nine assists, leading Blazers coach Nate McMillan to compare him to a roadrunner.

"In the game at San Antonio, we didn't do a good job of protecting the paint, and thus let Tony maneuver at will," McMillan said. "Tonight, I thought we closed that up."

Indeed, Parker made only 6 of 15 shots as the Blazers dared him to shoot from the perimeter. On this night, he was 0 for 7 from outside 10 feet, including an airball 3-point attempt.

It wasn't the Spurs' 41 percent first-half shooting, or even Portland's 61 percent first-half shooting, that most annoyed coach Gregg Popovich.

His team's mental approach to the game left him with a clenched jaw.

"To start the game that way against a team you had beaten pretty good recently was quite disappointing," he said, "because it shows a possible laissez-faire attitude, in a way.

"I would have expected us to come out knowing we were in for a hell of a battle. I'm not sure we came with the approach, or respect, that we needed."

Duncan spent the entire fourth quarter on the Spurs' bench, ice bags already on his knees, watching the wave and ruminating on a mini-comeback that had been a flop.

"Obviously, we didn't play the way we wanted to," Duncan said. "We got our butts kicked in just about every facet of the game.

"Whether it be someone's focus or not, I'm a player. I'm with these guys. There's no pointing fingers, except at yourself.

"I'll take the blame for it. I had a terrible night."