Via the BoGlo:blockquote>Robert Horry wants to play one more season and if it goes to form, he could retire having played more playoff games than any player in NBA history. Horry appeared in his 227th playoff game last night; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been in more (237). “Big Shot Rob” has never not made the playoffs and has never been knocked out in Round 1.

Unlike, say, poor T-Mac.

Via the NYT: Duncan Has Parker. James Has Himself.

LeBron is a great story, but I just don’t see how he, by himself, can beat the Spurs.

Via the Star-Telegram: Jazzed Spurs march to NBA Finals

THE DECADE OF POP

In the 10 full seasons Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been at the helm, the franchise has won three championships and on Wednesday advanced to its fourth NBA Finals. A look at the Spurs’ year-by-year results under Popovich:

Year Reg. season/ Div. finish Playoff result
1997-98 56-26/2nd Lost to Utah 4-1 in second round
1998-99 37-13*/1st Defeated New York 4-1 in NBA Finals
1999-00 53-29/2nd Lost to Phoenix 3-1 in first round
2000-01 58-24/1st Lost to LA Lakers 4-0 in West Finals
2001-02 58-24/1st Lost to LA Lakers 4-1 in second round
2002-03 60-22/1st Defeated New Jersey 4-2 in NBA Finals
2003-04 57-25/2nd Lost to LA Lakers 4-2 in second round
2004-05 59-23/1st Defeated Detroit 4-3 in NBA Finals
2005-06 63-19/1st Lost to Dallas 4-3 in second round
2006-07 58-24/2nd ?
*Lockout-shortened season

Note: Popovich, then the Spurs’ general manager, fired coach Bob Hill 18 games into the 1996-97 season and assumed head coaching duties.

I became a Spurs fan in the early 1990s when I moved to Austin to attend grad school and when Popovich fired Hill and hired himself I was sure we were doomed. Shows what I knew.

Steve Kerr, writing for Yahoo Sports, makes a case for the Duncan/Bowen tandem as being the key for the Spurs: San Antonio’s star power

When we look at NBA history, a common theme among NBA champions is the presence of star tandems. Cousy and Russell. Magic and Kareem. Bird and McHale. Jordan and Pippen.

The idea is that if you can put two superstars together, you’ve got a chance to win it all, at least in theory. When the San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA title, most of the credit — rightfully so — went to a pair of Hall of Fame big men, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. But since Robinson’s retirement in 2024, it has been a different, very unlikely tandem that has made the Spurs the most consistent team in the NBA: Duncan and … Bruce Bowen?

He makes a pretty compelling case.

Via ESPN: Amare, Diaw suspended one game; Horry gets 2.

While I am a Spurs fan and this helps my team, I must confess to being shocked that Stoudemire and Diaw are getting suspended (and that Horry is getting two games for that matter).

Via ESPN:

Manu Ginobili is thriving as the San Antonio Spurs’ sixth man.

Ginobili scored a season-high 40 points, including 24 straight for San Antonio in the first half, and Tim Duncan had 30 to help the Spurs beat the Atlanta Hawks 103-96 on Wednesday night.

Granted, it was against the Hawks, but still: very impressive.

All the hype this year (understandably) has been focused on the Mavs and the Suns, so I am anxious to see how the Spurs perform in the playoffs. They are third in the West, which is, in the scheme of things, an impressive place to be. Still, since they are second in their division, and are not having as impressive a regular season as they have had in recent years, this year has thus far been seen as something of a disappointment. Of course, the real test is the Real Season.

Ugh: Phoenix 103, San Antonio 87.

The Suns really have been on an amazing run–and I was hoping that the Spurs would make a positive statement with this game. However, not so much. I must admit that it is hard to take the regular season overly seriously, but at this point it would seem that the Suns have taken several steps forward and the Spurs may have taken a step or so back. With Dallas and Phoenix in the way, the road to the Finals is going to be a tough one in the West.

That’s more like it: San Antonio 106, Utah 83.

After losing badly to the Bucks, this is much better.