Added Parker, "(The Jazz are) going to be a good team for a long time. They are a young team and I'm sure they learned a lot from the series. And so they are going to be tough in the future. Deron (Willliams), obviously, is going to be a great player."

The Spurs, the oldest team in the NBA, beat the Jazz, one of the youngest. Duncan, a three-time Finals MVP, figures Utah has a bright future.

"They are going to be a great team for a lot of years," Duncan predicted. "With Carlos (Boozer) and Deron and Mehmet (Okur) and A.K. (Andrei Kirilenko), those guys will be around for a long time. This was a great playoff experience for them."

The Spurs, of course, were too smart and savvy to say they have a preferred opponent in the next round.

"It doesn't matter (who we play)," said Bowen. "We're in the Finals, so we're happy with that."

But the real celebration in the Alamo City is still four victories away.

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E-mail: lojo@desnews.com