Tim Duncan

No. 1 Wake Forest (24-5)Head coach: Dave Odom.Career record: 152-107 in nine seasons.Record at Wake Forest: 114-65 in six seasons.Conference: Atlantic Coast.Conference tournament: Beat North Carolina, 82-80, in overtime to win the title.Best win: 82-80 over North Carolina in yesterday's ACC tournament championship.Worst loss: 67-65 at Georgia Tech on Jan. 17.NCAA tournament record: 16-12.Last NCAA appearance: 1994, beat College of Charleston, 68-58; lost to Kansas, 69-58.Probable starters: F Travis Banks, Sr., 6-6; G Randolph Childress, Sr., 6-2; C Tim Duncan, So., 6-10; F Ricardo Peral, So., 6-10; G Tony Rutland, Fr., 6-2.Scouting report: No one comes into the NCAA tournament hotter than Childress, who scorched the ACC tournament for 107 points over three days -- the most since North Carolina's Lennie Rosenbluth scored 106 in 1957 -- to lead the Demon Deacons to the championship.

Spurs are cracking Ira Winderman Sun Sentinel Hasn't Tony Parker just answered that, with all due respect to George Hill? For months now, as the Spurs have extended their dominance, there has been lingering doubt about the ability of such a veteran roster to endure. With Parker out two to four weeks, are we starting to see the first cracks? And that doesn't address the minutes being rung up by Manu Ginobili, who annually stands as the league's most significant question mark at this stage of the season.

No. 1 Utah (62-20) vs.No. 5 San Antonio (56-26)Season series: Jazz won 3-1, its only loss coming on the road without then-injured point guard John Stockton.Last round: Utah defeated No. 8 Houston in five games. San Antonio defeated No. 4 Phoenix in four games.Key players: Utah -- Karl Malone (26.6 ppg, 12.6 rpg), Stockton (12.4 ppg, 8.2 apg), Jeff Hornacek (11.2 ppg, 4.0 apg), Byron Russell (12.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg). San Antonio -- David Robinson (20.3 ppg, 16.0 rpg), Tim Duncan (20.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg)

Western Conference finalsNo. 1 San Antonio (37-13) vs. No. 2 Portland (35-15)Playoff record: San Antonio 7-1 (beat Minnesota, 3-1; swept Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0). Portland 7-2 (swept Phoenix, 3-0; beat Utah, 4-2).Season series: San Antonio, 3-1 (Portland, 90-85, on 3/19; San Antonio, 81-80, on 4/16; San Antonio, 98-90, on 5/1; San Antonio, 87-81, on 5/4).Last conference finals appearance: San Antonio appeared in 1995, where the Spurs lost to Houston, 4-2. Portland appeared in 1992 beating Utah, 4-2, to reach the NBA Finals (where it lost to the Chicago Bulls)

ATHENS - So the U.S. men's basketball team does possess some intensity. The players tapped the button yesterday, averted embarrassment and took an 89-79 victory over Australia at the Helliniko Indoor Arena. Tim Duncan scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Allen Iverson contributed 16 points and Shawn Marion finished with 16 points and eight rebounds as Team USA outscored Australia 24-12 in the fourth quarter. Marion, inserted into the starting lineup in the second half, led the U.S. comeback, helping the team switch from passive to intense.

NETS (49-33): ROAD TO THE FINALS * Beat the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, the Boston Celtics in four and the Detroit Pistons in four. SPURS (60-22): ROAD TO THE FINALS * Beat the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, each in six games. SEASON SERIES The teams split two games, with the Nets winning, 92-81, in New Jersey in November and the Spurs winning, 92-78, in March in San Antonio. (Playoff statistics in parentheses; Nets players listed first) POINT GUARD Jason Kidd (19.4 ppg, 8.4 apg, 8.1 rpg)

What: NCAA East Regional semifinalWhere: Byrne Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, N.J.When: Tonight, 7:40TV: Channel 13Outlook: This contest matches up two teams with remarkably similar looks. Each squad is led by a great center, a great guard and a cast of solid role players. Wake Forest feeds off the inside strength of All-ACC center Tim Duncan (16.9 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 4.1 bpg) and the penetration and outside shooting of All-ACC guard Randolph Childress (20.1 ppg, 5.2 apg), who has recovered from the flu. The Cowboys counter with Big Eight Player of the Year Bryant Reeves (21.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg)

Maybe what the Los Angeles Lakers need is a little incentive as they play their final three regular-season games and head into the NBA playoffs seeded No. 7 or No. 8 in the Western Conference. Maybe what they need is for someone of a certain prominence to say they have no shot at going very far in the playoffs and give them a "we'll-show-you" attitude. Who better to do that than TNT commentator and new Hall of Fame member Charles Barkley? He was more than happy to oblige in a phone conversation yesterday from Atlanta, where he was preparing for that night's Inside the NBA studio show.

UP: Tim Duncan The mild-mannered two-time Most Valuable Player drew a one-game suspension for inadvertently knocking down an official. That's bound to do wonders for his street cred. DOWN: Jack Nies The referee in question, who should have known better than to get in the way of a pick. And giving Duncan a technical for such an obvious accident was a weasel move. UP: Denver Nuggets If the season ended right now, the Nuggets would be in the playoffs, Jeff Bzdelik would be Coach of the Year and Carmelo Anthony would be Rookie of the Year.

BaseballBlue Jays: Promoted Scott Shannon to trainer. Named George Poulis to assistant trainer.Cubs: Named Oscar Acosta pitching coach and Sandy Alomar Sr. bullpen coach.Marlins: Named David Ginsberg vice chairman of the board of directors.BasketballNBA: Named Spurs F Tim Duncan (24.3 ppg, 14.8 rpg in 4 wins) Player of the Week.Warriors: Activated F Jason Caffey from injured list. Placed C Tim Young on injured list.CollegeUC-Santa Barbara: Named Paul Stumpf women's soccer coach.Findlay: Announced resignation of football coach Doug Coate.