You had to enjoy watching the Jazz fight off the Suns and the Rockets for the West’s final playoff spot. They have been playing playoff-atmosphere basketball for the better part of April, but they are about to go up against a machine of a team that Tim Duncan described as the deepest he has ever played on. That’s a mouthful right there. Here are five things to watch for in the first-round playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and
If there were rankings for the NBA’s overlooked and underestimated, the San Antonio Spurs would be No. 1. They are the contender people love to forget. That’s not to say they aren’t respected. Four titles since 1999 and the potent management duo of Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford translates to a substantial bottom line. But the last few years, it seems that when championship aspirants are rated, any mention of the Spurs is followed with “yeah, well … but … they
The San Antonio Spurs try to extend one streak and end another Tuesday, continuing their road trip against the Portland Trail Blazers, who have won the last six meetings between the clubs at the Rose Garden. After defeating the Utah Jazz, 106-102, without two key players Monday in Salt Lake City, San Antonio extended the longest active winning streak in the NBA to 11 games. Manu Ginobili (oblique strain) and Tiago Splitter (calf strain) both suffered injuries in Saturday’s 103-100 win over