The Spurs are headed to the playoffs for the primary time since 2019, with Recreation 1 in opposition to the Portland Path Blazers set for 8 PM CT on Sunday. Within the meantime, we’re wanting again among the finest common seasons in franchise historical past.
In Half 1, we reviewed the primary a part of the season, whuch featured a powerful begin regardless of lacking De’Aaron Fox to begin the season and Victor Wembanyama for 12 straight video games. In Half 2, we recalled their memorable and arguably season-defining stretch within the second half of December, which featured Wemby’s return and a Cup Semi-finals win plus two extra in a 12-day span in opposition to the defending champion Thunder, formally placing the Spurs on the map. Lastly, in Half 3, we checked out their one tough patch of the season in the course of the month of January, however in hindsight, it could have really been a character-defining stretch, and that confirmed on the flip of the month, the place we’re kicking off right now.
Half 4: February 1 – April 12 (29-4)
On paper, the Spurs’ dwelling win in opposition to the Orlando Magic on February 1 merely met expectations. They beat a good however inferior opponent by 9 factors, however there was much more context that made this recreation a turning level. They went by so much simply to play that recreation, having been trapped in Charlotte the evening earlier than resulting from a snow storm, and after they lastly began heading again to San Antonio the day of this recreation, they needed to make an emergency touchdown in Atlanta resulting from mechanical points with their aircraft (which gamers admitted was a scary scenario). It could have made sense for the NBA to only postpone the sport (or higher but, have postponed the Charlotte one and never even put the Spurs in that scenario), however as an alternative it received pushed again a mid-afternoon recreation to an evening one, and the Spurs needed to go straight to the sector from the airport.
They might have been forgiven for being too drained and dropping this one, however as an alternative, they confirmed grit and struggle to tug out the exhausting win, which ended up being a character-defining second and kicked off one among their finest prolonged stretches in franchise historical past. It began their first 11-game win streak since 2016, which ran all through February — making the Spurs the primary group to have an undefeated month whereas scoring 110 or extra level in each recreation — to the penultimate recreation of the Rodeo Street Journey (which began/ended per week later than typical).
That run featured many memorable video games, together with consecutive 40-point video games from Stephon Citadel and Wemby in opposition to the Mavs and Lakers, respectively, with Citadel’s efficiency additionally being triple-double.
However maybe the 2 wins that confirmed the Spurs had not solely returned to their December kind however had formally “arrived” as contenders got here in opposition to the identical group: one as they began the second leg of the RRT after their two Austin video games, and the opposite of their “return dwelling from the RRT” recreation in opposition to the East’s high seed: the Detroit Pistons. Not solely did the Spurs convincingly win each of these video games (each have been shut, however the Spurs have been all the time in management), led by 28 factors from Devin Vassell in Detroit and 38 from Wemby in San Antonio, nevertheless it helped squash the narrative that they couldn’t deal with bodily groups.
The Spurs ran away with the second seed within the West from there (albeit unable to catch the equally scorching Thunder for the highest seed), however there have been a lot extra thrillers alongside the way in which. One got here the very subsequent evening, when an exhausted Spurs group confronted Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers for the primary time this season. It appeared the Spurs had nothing left within the tank and located themselves down by as a lot as 25 early within the second half earlier than an enormous rally again to steal the sport, together with two enormous buckets from Wemby within the last minute, in each circumstances to retake the lead, adopted by some free throw drama. It was such a bodily and emotionally draining recreation that it actually had Wemby in tears afterwards.
In all probability a lot to each Spurs followers’ satisfaction, they’d go on to comb the season sequence in opposition to the Clippers, and Kawhi’s group would lose within the play-in whereas his future along with his desired membership is up within the air as a result of Aspiration scandal. For the primary time in 8 eight years, it lastly seems like karma is again on the Spurs aspect, and we’ve got formally moved on from the destruction his actions introduced upon the franchise.
One other memorable recreation was a chaotic win in opposition to a then-potential first spherical opponent (however not anymore) and thorn-in-the-side Phoenix Suns group on March 19. The Suns led many of the approach earlier than the Spurs made one other fourth quarter comeback, and this time it was a Wemby jumper with 1.1 sec left that sealed the deal. Whereas not formally a buzzer-beater, it was the primary go-ahead recreation winner of his profession.
In all, the Spurs went an unprecedented 29-4 to shut the season, and coming collectively in the course of the RRT adopted by sturdy Marches have all the time been a calling card of the Spurs championship groups, so it’s good to see them returning to a method that has all the time been profitable. If there was one concern in that stretch, it was three of the losses have been to a Denver Nuggets group that may seemingly be their second spherical opponent. The excellent news is Wemby solely performed in one among them — an OT loss in Denver — and even with out him the opposite two have been shut, nevertheless it was particularly irritating within the common season finale when Nikola Jokic solely performed within the first half and the Spurs had an opportunity to knock them again to the 4th seed and to the Thunder’s aspect of the bracket.
Regardless, the Spurs got here into this season with the play-in or a decrease playoff seed seeming like an affordable aim, they usually far exceeded these expectations. They nonetheless must show themselves within the playoffs, however the one factor that would make this season a bust at this level could be a primary spherical upset, which appears unlikely (*knock on wooden). They might or could not want that “studying” 12 months (i.e. experiencing and studying from a playoff loss) earlier than they’ll really chase a championship, however the backside line is that this has been far and away a greater common season than any of us may have requested for, and it has been a lot enjoyable going again by it.
We may have extra on the opening spherical match-up in opposition to the Blazers whereas we patiently watch for Sunday night to get right here, and within the meantime be sure you inform us about extra of your favourite reminiscences from this season!
