Tim Duncan holds all top five spots for the Spurs for most rebounds in a playoff game.
The San Antonio Spurs have had some incredible performances in the rebounding department throughout their 59-year history in the NBA. Today, we’re highlighting the top five individual rebounding performances in the postseason for players donning a Spurs uniform.
Tim Duncan, 25 rebounds (2002 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 5)
Duncan posted a playoff career-high 25 rebounds and a game-high 34 points (11-23 FG, 12-14 FT) in San Antonio’s 93-87 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the 2002 Western semis. ‘Timmy’ added four assists, one steal and two blocks in a little more than 45 minutes of action. No other Spurs player grabbed more than three boards in the contest, and Duncan’s 25 accounted for more than 65% of his team’s total of 38 rebounds. He tallied 22 points, 16 boards and a steal across 22 minutes in the first half alone, but it wasn’t enough to stop San Antonio from being eliminated from the postseason, 4-1.
Tim Duncan, 24 rebounds (2003 Western Conference Finals, Game 3)
In the Spurs’ 96-83 victory in Game 3 of the 2003 conference finals, Duncan dominated the Dallas Mavericks at both ends of the court. He finished with 34 points (12-19 FG, 10-14 FT), 24 boards, six assists, two steals and six blocks over 42 minutes. ‘The Big Fundamental’ recorded a game-best +31 plus-minus rating and a ridiculous individual defensive rating of 76.0 (points allowed per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor). San Antonio went on to take the series in six to advance to the NBA Finals, where they won their second title in five years by defeating the New Jersey Nets in six games.
Tim Duncan, 23 rebounds (2003 Western Conference First Round, Game 3)
During Game 3 of the first round in 2003 against the Phoenix Suns, Duncan was a force on the glass while taking a backseat to Tony Parker’s game-high 29 points. He corralled 23 boards to go along with 11 points (3-6 FG, 5-6 FT), six assists and three blocks in 41 minutes, and finished the contest with the second-best plus-minus rating (+15) in the Spurs’ 99-86 win. Over the course of the six-game series, Duncan led San Antonio in minutes played (42.8), points (18.7), rebounds (16.0), assists (5.2) and blocks (3.5) to help his team advance to the conference semis.
Tim Duncan, 23 rebounds (2008 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 5)
Five years later, Duncan racked up another 23-rebound performance in a 101-79 loss to the New Orleans Hornets in the 2008 conference semis. Timmy struggled from the floor all night, finishing with just 10 points on 5-for-18 shooting (0-1 FT) alongside two assists and one block in 40 minutes. The defeat dropped the Spurs to a 3-2 series deficit, but Duncan led San Antonio to two consecutive victories by totaling 36 points and 29 boards in Games 6 and 7. Across those seven outings, ‘Old Man Riverwalk’ averaged 15.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.9 blocks in 38.0 minutes a night. However, the LA Lakers defeated Duncan and the Spurs 4-1 in the conference finals that year, ending their bid as repeat champions.
Tim Duncan, 22 rebounds (2001 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 2)
At age 24 in his fourth professional campaign back in the 2001 playoffs, Duncan recorded game highs in scoring (25) and rebounding (22) with six dimes, one steal and one block over 46 minutes in the Spurs’ 100-86 win over Dallas in Game 2 of the Western Semifinals. He matched teammate David Robinson’s game-best +15 plus-minus rating while accounting for nearly half of his team’s 45 total boards. San Antonio bested the Mavs in five games to reach the conference finals for the second time in three seasons, but Kobe Bryant and the Lakers swept them in four games before winning a second consecutive NBA title.
