I sensed that the San Antonio Spurs had a long series ahead of them when they took on the New Orleans in Round Dos of the 2008 NBA Playoffs. And after falling in an 0-2 hole, the Spurs didn't fold or give up; I sure didn't stop believing that they could make this a series for the ages. When Game 7 came up last night, I was thinking to myself, "May the best team win," not "may the home team move on to face Kobe Bryant & the Lakers." Seriously, I sensed that San Antonio could pull out a win on the road.
And they didn't disappoint: the Spurs are now in the Western Finals thanks to an 92-81 win over the upstart Hornets. Next question is: how'd they do it?
Well, bottom line is this: the Spurs have been there, done that; they've been in this situation numerous times & they know what they have to do when the going gets rough as last night's win confirms. On the other hand, the Hornets are a team on the rise, a team of upstarts in every sense of the word as far as playoff experience goes; sure, they've been an awesome team all season long but by the same token they haven't been tested thoroughly in the playoffs as much as San Antonio has for the past several years or so. Experience is what brought the Spurs to the Western Finals & what helped them win Game 7 BTW; experience is something the Hornets could have used a little more of & then some.
Tony Parker & company have kept the Spurs playoff philosophy simple along the lines of last year: nothing fancy, nothing flashy - they're all about getting the job done & keeping humble about it. Against their next opponent, a resurgent Kobe Bryant & the Los Angeles Lakers, one only hopes that they stick to their guns now more than ever.
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