The Finals: Spurs accomplish sweep of Lakers in historic all-west Finals (4-0).

With its bitter seven-game defeat in the Western Conference Finals still in mind, the Los Angeles Lakers hit the Spurs with a haymaker early in Game 1, having downed the Philadelphia 76ers in a seven-game war all its own to prevent Ben Simmons & co from a third straight Finals appearance. By the end of this year's Finals, however, the Lakers would receive the same treatment in a four-game ouster.

Game 1: A 24-24 stalemate was the result early in Game 1, as the Spurs weathered the storm solely due to on-fire shooting by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6-9 3PT). KCP would cool off at 22 points on the night, sparking the Spurs to a blowout victory in tandem with Fred VanVleet, who notched a career-best 34 points on an even better 7 made shots from long range. Anthony Davis had 24 points, 17 rebounds. LeBron James scored 19 points with 8 assists, but his teammates failed to hit open shots. Jrue Holiday & Derrick Rose shot a combined 3-21 in Game 1. Steven Adams had 16 rebounds, with Dwight Howard's 12 points & 7 boards.

It was the 3rd Quarter that belonged to the Spurs, 32-23 and then the dam split open in the 4th Quarter, 33-19, as the Spurs rolled to a 121-96 home win to go up 1-0 over the Lakers. Ingram had 19 points, with 14 points & 9 assists by Dejounte Murray. JaVale McGee had 9 points, 9 rebounds. Andre Drummond crashed in 15 rebounds with 5 blocks. San Antonio led by 29 points, after nearly succumbing to a 9-PT hole early.

Game 2 became ugly early for the Lakers, falling into a 27-15 hole. The Lakers had a putrid 17 turnovers as the Spurs led by 27 at one point, winning 92-104 after some second half signs of life by the visiting team. Brandon Ingram had 22 points. Evan Fournier scored fifteen. Andre Drummond had 18 rebounds with 13 points. Dejounte Murray scored 12 points. For LA, Anthony Davis poured in 29 points with 16 rebounds. But LeBron James had a bad shooting night for just 12 points. Steven Adams notched 15 rebounds. Jrue Holiday also scored twelve in the loss.

Game 3 felt like deja-vu as STAPLES Center went dead quiet, mostly after a 36-17 beating by the Spurs in the 1st Quarter. The 4th Quarter was ugly, too, as the Spurs won that 36-22 to go up 3-0, 123-88. Anthony Davis had 22 points, but LeBron James had a bad night scoring the ball again, double-teamed by the Spurs.

Anthony Davis was strong for the Lakers.

 San Antonio held the Lakers below 100 points in all three first games of the Finals, with Game 3 belonging to the supernova spectacle by Brandon Ingram (42 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block). Ingram shot 17/33, hitting a trio of shots from deep territory. KCP had 19 points with 7 assists. Andre Drummond had 14 rebounds with 11 points. Fred VanVleet scored 12. For the Lakers, they made just 2/14 3PT attempts, trailing by 35 points at one moment. The Spurs had 37 assists, putting LA on the brink of elimination.

Game 4 saw a rally for the ages, a small redemption for the Lakers. They trailed 62-81 heading into the final period, and King James finally stepped it up en route to 32 points. The Spurs had led largely for most of the game, as KCP poured in 20 points. Brandon Ingram had 24 points, but it was Dejounte Murray that seized the championship tonight for the Spurs. Anthony Davis had 26 points, with 15 points & 6 assists by Fred VanVleet. Andre Drummond had 16 rebounds & 12 points.

The Lakers rallied to within 92-95, as 1:50 remained on their season. J.J. Redick finally hit a 3PTer on the fast break, giving the Lakers a 2-PT lead, threatening a Game 5, but then it was Murray's moment: a powerful dunk past Steven Adams, drawing the foul to seize the advantage once again. Murray buried the free throw to cap off 22 points. Jrue Holiday missed a 3PT shot on the other end, and with time running out, fouled Fred VanVleet who buried two free throws. The Lakers called timeout, with their season dangling in the wind.

Fortune favored the Spurs in a wild sequence that would end the NBA Finals: J.J. Redick missed his 3PTer, but Anthony Davis came through for the Lakers, dunking the ball back home. They had to foul Murray, who split free throws. Redick got another look out of a timeout, but misfired. Again, AD got the offensive rebound, dishing the ball out to LeBron James, who missed a contested 3PT shot. Adams tipped the rebound back out to James, with the clock expiring as the final hail mary 3PT attempt...missed again.

"It's no good! The Spurs are NBA Champions for a historic 12th consecutive time!"

Losing Game 4, 105-102, LeBron James took the high ground and embraced Brandon Ingram, your Finals MVP for the 3rd straight year. Ingram averaged 25.5ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.3apg, 1.5bpg on 41% shooting from 3PT territory. The Spurs have now tied the Lakers & Celtics for 17 all-time NBA Championships.

Spurs eviscerate Clippers to close out series, 90-127 (4-1).

The Spurs blew Game 5 open in the 2nd Quarter, 35-26, then broke the spirit of the Clippers by dominating the 4th Quarter, 39-23. San Antone ultimately won by a mountainous 37 points to clinch the Western Conference crown, the second time over the Clippers like last season's end.

In defeat, Rudy Gobert had 18 rebounds with 14 points, but the story of the night was a cold 13 points by Kawhi Leonard, his tank empty after his heroic Game 4 performance. Paul George had 13 points, also, but shot 6-18. Patrick Beverley had 5 turnovers, with 5 coming by George/Leonard.

The blowout was due to stellar perimeter scoring by the Spurs, hitting 17 threes to just 3 by the Clippers.

Dejounte Murray had 23 points with 3 steals. Brandon Ingram scored 21 points, 8 rebounds & 5 assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope notched 20 points, hitting four threes. Andre Drummond beast-moded his way to 17 points, 20 rebounds with 3 blocks. Evan Fournier combined with P.J. Tucker for 28 points, hitting six threes together. Fred VanVleet had 3 steals. Alex Caruso scored 8 points, hitting two threes of his own.

Leonard wills Clippers to 103-112 comeback, survive Game 4 (3-1).

Some things just aren't meant to be and no matter what the Spurs tried to do, Kawhi Leonard would not let the Clippers season end tonight. The Claw poured in 40 points, sneaking 4 steals also (17-26 FG%, 0 turnovers), willing the Clippers to a moral victory tonight. The scoring was insanely close: 25-21 (SA), 25-22 (LA), 32-23 (LA), 33-34 (LA), with the 3rd Quarter pushing the Spurs up against the wall.

Leonard was a solo soldier mostly, with just 16 points coming from an 0-4 3PT effort by Paul George. Rudy Gobert had 17 rebounds. Patrick Bevlerly dished 10 assists. In the loss, Evan Fournier had 26 points, the same as Brandon Ingram (8 rebounds). Fred VanVleet scored 15 points, hitting five threes and having chances to nail a dagger here and there, but it was not to be. Dejounte Murray struggled, going 2-8, with 10 points, 4 fouls & 2 turnovers. KCP shot just 2-8 from long distance, notching 10 points. Andre Drummond had 19 rebounds, with 7 mighty blocks, but had 4 fouls.

The good news is that the Spurs return home for Game 5.

Clippers fall by a hair at home, 101-96 (3-0).

The Spurs came in ready to win Game 3 and put a strangehold on the Western Conference Title, and they were successful. A much closer affair than the first two games, the Spurs narrowly won the 2nd quarter and got an 8-PT advantage in the 3rd Quarter to hold on for the win.

In the loss, Kawhi Leonard had 22 points. Paul George scored 18 points, but shot just 6-15. Demarre Carroll had 12, and Gobert grabbed 16 boards.

In the impressive victory, Brandon Ingram had 27 points & 7 rebounds. Dejounte Murray played strong with 24 points. KCP had 15 points, with 14 coming from Fournier & 10 points by VanVleet. In the middle, Drummond had 17 rebounds.

San Antonio rolls to Game 2 win, 103-112 (2-0).

Had the Clippers made more than three 3PT shots, they maybe could've taken Game 2 (3/15 3PT), but the Spurs shot 42% from long range and fended off a stronger Clippers resistance.

San Antonio won the 1st Quarter, 20-29, and the second quarter, 31-23. LA won both second half quarters, but it wasn't enough with just 12 points coming from Paul George, not much help for Kawhi Leonard's 27 points. Rudy Gobert did have 22 impressive rebounds for LA in the losing effort.

For the Spurs, Brandon Ingram came to play with 30 points & 9 rebounds. Dejounte Murray dished a stunning 14 assists & 19 points, hitting three shots from long range. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 18 points, with 14 coming from Evan Fournier. Andre Drummond crushed the paint with 26 rebounds, 3 steals & 2 blocks with 7 nice assists.

The Spurs bench also played well, with Tucker, McGee & Samanic totaling 14 points along with 11 by Fred VanVleet.

Spurs easily down Clippers, 93-100 (1-0).

Luka Samanic had a career-high 20 points as the Spurs won the first half, 62-41, controlling the Clippers smoothly despite a 34-16 late push by LA during garbage time.

Dejounte Murray had 17 points, with limited action for Ingram & Drummond amounting to 20 points and 17 rebounds.

San Antonio held sway the entire game, leading by 25 at one point. The Clippers had 13 turnovers. In the loss, Kawhi Leonard had 26 points, with 19 points coming from Paul George. Rudy Gobert had 14 rebounds.

Spurs lose early lead, but persevere to eliminate Warriors, 109-134 (4-1).

Fortune favored the Spurs early, giving them a cushion of relief to accompany home court advantage that was sorely missed in the last two games, leading by as much as 26 points by buzzer's call. However, that lead came later in the 4th Quarter, as the Warriors fired back anxious to save their season, seizing a 7-PT lead.

A collective tremor hit the San Antonio crowd, dreading the threat of a close game from that point onward, until the Spurs finally started hitting shots to retake control. It helped that Giannis Antetokounmpo (21 points, 10 rebounds, 10-19 FG%, 2 turnovers) finally scored under 30 points, missing shots early that he hadn't missed before in this series.

In the 4th Quarter, the Spurs finally had enough, walloping the Warriors, 40-21, scoring well past the hundred point mark. Steph Curry had 18 points with 12 assists, but did not hit a 3PTer. Kevin Knox, II, scored 16 points. Andrew Wiggins, as all series long, struggled on a 3-10 performance. DeAndre Jordan had 17 points, 19 rebounds, having definitely fit in well with the Warriors this season in retrospect. Golden State had 18 turnovers, as their high from Game 4 wore off with sloppy execution tonight.

Brandon Ingram had 29 points, 9 rebounds & 9 assists with 3 steals and 2 blocks. Fred VanVleet lit up the Warriors with seven 3PT daggers, scoring 25 points with 3 steals. Evan Fournier also had 19 points & 7 assists, hitting 5 from deep and utilizing his step-back mid-range jumper. Dejounte Murray had 17 points & 8 assists. Andre Drummond had 11 points, 10 rebounds with 3 blocks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 10 points and P.J. Tucker hit three clutch 3PT shots to keep the Spurs ship afloat during the Warriors brief, as did Alex Caruso with 7 points of his own with 2 steals.

With this series now in the rear-view, it must be said how nice it was to see the Warriors back to form, sans Klay Thompson. Giannis Antetokounmpo definitely looks ready to carry the Curry torch one day, but it also appears as though Andrew Wiggins may not be fit to be that 3rd option for the team. With his dour performance in this series, it may be hard for the Warriors to trade him and receive value in return. Kevin Knox, II, also came on nicely for his new team. "They'll be back, no doubt," Coach Popovich said post-game about the Warriors. "I had enough traumatic flashbacks for this season, though", the Spurs coach joked, referencing the much tougher Warriors teams of yesteryear.

The Spurs shot 50% from the 3PT line, and that is hard to beat. Without Klay Thompson's services, the Warriors only hit 3 shots from long range in this game, so his absence will definitely need replacing ASAP, despite some 3PT improvement by The Greek Freak this season. It also appears that Curry may be exiting his peak, so clearly moves need to be made for next year. Meanwhile, the Spurs move on!

San Antonio can't achieve sweep as Warriors survive Game 4, 108-114 (3-1).

The Spurs tried everything they could, never surrendering until the final buzzer despite a 13-PT deficit throughout the game, committing only 5 turnovers as a unit, sneaking 11 steals, but unable to get a rebound. The Warriors had 54 rebounds, to just 34 by San Antonio and 18 of those belonged to Andre Drummond  (8 points). Midway through the 4th Quarter, the Warriors began to pull away yet again, but KCP (14 points, 4-11 3PT) hit four perimeter bombs to keep things interesting. The Warriors made their free throws and put the game out of reach as KCP finally missed to end his flurry of defiance.

Brandon Ingram became a victim of the double-team, since he was the only Spur scoring consistently tonight, finishing with 35 points but playing basically the entire game, noticeably fatigued despite 8 assists & 2 steals. Ingram shot 15-26. Evan Fournier had 16 points, but shot just 6-14. Dejounte Murray had only 14 points with 7 assists, trying to involve others and get them going, to no avail, which earned him scrutiny post-game about not attacking the basket more. "I just try to get our guys the best shots. You know, maybe I should've taken it upon myself to get us a W, but I trust my guys. We came real close," Murray gritted through his teeth after the hard loss.

The Rest: Fred VanVleet had a bad game, scoring just 10 points and not finding his usual deadly spots on the perimeter. When he did fire one off, he missed it, going 2-6 overall. Every miss floored the Spurs. Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo crushed the Spurs with 36 points, 11 rebounds & 6 assists. DeAndre Jordan had 17 points, 16 rebounds. Steph Curry hit three from deep, dishing 11 assists with 15 points. Kevin Knox, II, scored 15 points, as well. A flagrant 1 foul was also called on Andre Drummond, noticeably affecting his defensive aggression afterward, which Coach Pop unsuccessfully challenged.

San Antonio edges Warriors to seize series control, 112-109 (3-0).

With under three minutes to go in regulation, Brandon Ingram (28 points, 3 steals) buried a cold-blooded 3PT bomb over Giannis Antetokounmpo (36 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks) to put the Spurs up 95-91. The Warriors kept fighting and tied the score at 97 with 90 seconds left to play, when Fred VanVleet (26 points, 6/11 3PT) buried a fast-break 3PT dagger. Steph Curry (19 points, 10 assists, 3/10 3PT) got an open three of his own on the next play after a nice screen by DeAndre Jordan (8 points, 14 rebounds) but the ball went in-and-out.

In the play of the night, Brandon Ingram called for the ball once again, turned his back to Andrew Wiggins (6 points) and splashed in the fadeaway jumper to ice the clutch victory. Ingram had shot 22% in the first half, recovering well to shoot 71% in the second half, doubling his scoring input from 8 to 16. Kevin Knox, II (19 points) would get a 3PT chance at the buzzer to send the game into OverTime, but missed.

Running the Spurs offense, Dejounte Murray finished with 25 points & 8 assists with 2 steals. Andre Drummond had a quiet night of 8 points, 11 rebounds. It was truly the trio of Murray, VanVleet & Ingram's efficiency that won this game for the Spurs, with little scoring contributions coming from the rest of the team. The Spurs had 7 turnovers to Golden State's 14 which proved crucial, also.

Strong first half boosts Spurs past Warriors, 101-112 (2-0).

In just the 1st Quarter, Fred VanVleet leveled the Warriors with five 3PT bombs. He would hit two more after a blowout victory ensued for the Spurs, finishing with 23 points to lead San Antonio to a 2-0 lead. 

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 17 for the Spurs. It was a 4-16 shooting night for Brandon Ingram (11 points) but with 20 made shots from the perimeter as a team, the Spurs were just fine as Ingram took off the second half. The Spurs would go on to lead by as many as 24 points, with Dejounte Murray scoring 15 points with 4 steals & 7 rebounds. Evan Fournier chipped in 13, with Andre Drummond's 12 points, 19 rebounds & 7 assists simply too much for Golden State to overcome.

For the Warriors, Giannis Antetokounmpo poured his heart into the game, notching 37 points, 24 rebounds & 8 assists with 3 steals and 2 blocks. Steph Curry had another cold shooting night, going 1-8 from long distance (9 points, 10 assists). DeAndre Jordan had 15 points, 12 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins scored 13. Kevin Knox, II, scored just 6 points going 3-10 overall.

Spurs win Game 1 after fierce defense upends Warriors, 108-120 (1-0).

The Golden State Warriors came out hot and hitting heavy against the Spurs, threatening to blow the scoreboard wide open several times throughout the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Quarters. San Antonio would retaliate, recuperating with just enough time to spare to break nearly even in the first half, 25-23 (GS) & 29-29, down by just two points at the break. Giannis Antetokounmpo (41 points, 16 rebounds) made the Spurs pay while they were busy just trying to make shots, as their best shooters went cold for most of the game.

One source of respite came from Steph Curry losing any chance for an early rhythm as foul trouble burdened the stellar marksman, and although he burned the Spurs more than once by night's end, Curry had an ugly game of 12 points, 11 assists with 5 turnovers on a 4-18 (4-14 3PT) performance. Andrew Wiggins went quiet also, scoring just 8 points with 3 turnovers. The Spurs finally got the wheels turning, looking sluggish with the ball and lost on defense for most of the game as Golden State led by as much as 8 points. 29-21 (SA) was the scoring tally for the 3rd Quarter as the Spurs put on a defensive flurry to close the quarter, finding themselves up 83-76 as its best defenders pressured the Warriors into mistakes.

Once the 4th Quarter began, the Spurs finally starting nailing shots and moving the ball with purpose, capitalizing on a defense by Golden State that had finally begun to stagger, while San Antonio hounded Antetokounmpo with double teams. San Antonio went up by 19 points before the end, led by Evan Fournier (28 points, 5-9 3PT) & Dejounte Murray (27 points, 9 assists, 5 steals). Brandon Ingram had 16 points, still struggling against Giannis, the Defensive Player of the Year. Andre Drummond provided a spark on defense at the rim, swatting Wiggins on a fast break drive, finishing with 3 blocks, 16 points & 22 rebounds. JaVale McGee contributed 2 blocks of his own, one on The Greek Freak, with 6 rebounds. Fred VanVleet had 16 points, hitting his only three perimeter shots during the 4th Quarter swing.

Clearly, the Spurs are hoping for a faster start and a readier defense in Game 2, but have to be happy with pulling out this impressive win.

In scrappy first round, Spurs sweep Nets (4-0).

The San Antonio Spurs came out in Game 1 and found themselves in a scrappy series, though they soon figured it out and executed well under pressure to put down the home team in Game 4.

Game 1: Brandon Ingram led the Spurs in Game 1, scoring 22 points. Evan Fournier scored 18 points. KCP was a perfect 3-3 from long range, scoring 15 points. JaVale McGee had a standout performance with 12 points, 9 rebounds. Andre Drummond corralled 17 rebounds. The Spurs played well, testing the waters against their eastern conference opponent, especially with a goose egg scoring night by Dejounte Murray (6 assists). For the Nets, Kyrie Irving scored 20 points. Kevin Durant's shot was a bit off, notching 18. Kevon Looney had 15 points, 10 rebounds in what amounted to a ten-point loss, 94-104. The Nets only made two threes, as the Spurs led by 25 points at one moment.

Game 2: With the first win in the books, the Spurs hit on all cylinders early in Game 2. They blew Brooklyn out of the water, 37-24 in the 1st Quarter. Brandon Ingram finished with 30 points, 6 assists, scoring double-figures in the opening period. Andre Drummond had 21 points, 22 rebounds with 7 assists. Dejounte Murray came out aggressive, scoring 20 points with 8 rebounds & 8 assists to go with 4 steals. Fred VanVleet scored 14 points, with 12 points by KCP. The Spurs kept the fire roaring in the 2nd Quarter, winning it 38-23, leading at halftime 47-75. To their credit, Brooklyn punched back big time in the 3rd Quarter, finally finding signs of life, 33-17, to cut the lead to 12 heading into the 4th Quarter. The Spurs won that 32-28 to pull out a 108-124 victory. Kyrie Irving scored 34 points with 9 assists, hitting six threes. KD had 17, but shot 8-19 and only 1-7 from range. Louisville draft pick, Samuel Williamson, scored 15 points. Kevon Looney had 10 rebounds. The Spurs scored 40 fast break points, also winning the interior battle unlike in Game 1, dishing 43 assists as a squad. San Antonio shot 65% in the first half.

Game 3: Bedstuy came alive in Game 3, making a thrilling resistance effort. The Nets devoured the paint with 73 points down low, but the Spurs stellar ball movement culminated in 39 assists once more. Brooklyn led by as much as 6 points, but the Spurs led by as high as 14, winning this one in the end, 120-109 despite the fiery home crowd. Brooklyn seized control in the 3rd, winning it 34-27, but San Antone closed the game out, 40-30 to claim the 3-0 dominating advantage in this series. Kevin Durant had a strong showing with 29 points & 8 rebounds with 2 steals & 2 blocks. Kyrie Irving, however, came up short with just 16 points (6-15, 10 assists, 7 turnovers). Kevon Looney had 13 points, 12 rebounds. For the Spurs, Brandon Ingram notched an impressive triple-double: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists with 3 steals. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points. Dejounte Murray played well again to score 18 points with 5 assists. Drummond had 19 boards with 12 points & 4 blocks.

Game 4: The closest affair of all four games, the Spurs pulled it out amid high adversity and home court pressure by the Nets, losing control at more than one point in the game, before admirably stepping up with championship mettle. They won the 4th Quarter, 37-23, after the score was notched at 76 (before Brooklyn went up 83-76, nearly toppling the Spurs). Brandon Ingram was sensational with 29 points, 3-3 from 3PT territory. He had 3 blocks with 2 steals. Down low, Andre Drummond had 19 points and 25 in a monstrous outing, swatting 7 blocks in the heat of high competition. KCP started out rocky, but hit clutch shots late for the Spurs, scoring 21 points and hitting six three-point daggers. Fred VanVleet scored 20 points, hitting six 3PTers of his own with 3 steals & 6 assists. Dejounte Murray dished 10 assists with 15 points, 3 steals. In the final defeat for the Nets, Kyrie Irving had 28 points & 11 assists (4 turnovers). Kevin Durant scored 20 points with 11 rebounds (9-19, 0-3 3PT). Kevon Looney had 16 points & 12 rebounds. Williamson scored 15 points. The Spurs closed the game on a 11-2 run.

Next up, the Spurs must best the Golden State Warriors.

New-look playoffs pose still-deadly Durant against historically-hungry Spurs.

With Karl-Anthony Towns winning MVP honors, and deservingly so after leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to not only the playoffs but the #2 seed in the Western Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo winning Defensive Player of the Year, and Cade Cunningham winning Rookie of the Year as the brightest of the N'awlins bunch (as they also enter the post-season), the NBA Playoffs are underway!

Only one arch-nemesis on the other side of the bracket will meet the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, as both the Los Angeles Lakers & Philadelphia 76ers will have to devour each other first to get there, if Coach Pop's squad has its way with three opponents first. With the top 16 teams judging from win/loss records making the cut, the Lakers became the #6 seed with Philadelphia becoming the #2 seed, with Philly & San Antonio leading each's side of the bracket, respectively.

The initial challenge for the Spurs comes from a resurgent Brooklyn Nets team led by Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving, boosted by rookie point guard lottery pick Daishen Nix chose to forego the college experience and opt for the G-League's enticing path instead. Ex-Warrior, Kevon Looney, has had a quality year as a starting center given his prior health issues and Latvian talent, Rodion Kurucs, has come into his own alongside an also healthy Caris LeVert.

Meanwhile, the Lakers will have their hands full with the Boston Celtics in the first round, whereas the Nets earned the #16 seed, sporting one of the cut's only .500 records.

For San Antonio, Kevin Durant poses an always deadly threat as the Spurs begin a historic quest to tie the Celtics & Lakers for 17 championships as a basketball organization. The Spurs have won 11 consecutive NBA Titles leading up to this point, with 5 more championship runs in the team's past history. Just three seasons ago, the Spurs made history by winning the most consecutive titles at nine, passing the Celtics previous mark of 8 straight championship runs. But to win this year's title would align San Antonio with LA & Boston as the winningest franchise in NBA history--ever, period.

And to, then, win another one potentially? One can dream, but first the Spurs will have to win sixteen games, and with the new bracket design, they will likely come across and must defeat the Nets, Warriors & Timberwolves before meeting most likely the Lakers or 76ers (if Vegas odds come to fruition) from the other side in the final match. The Spurs were able to avoid the Lakers last time around after a Game 7 spectacle for the Western Conference crown two seasons ago, and the 76ers have met San Antonio there for the last two years. Only this time, they've added James Harden (who hit 7-9 3PT shots in a Game 1 rout for Philly earlier today). It will be very tough title run.

"Nothing's gonna stop us," Brandon Ingram, the reigning consecutive Finals MVP, stated at practice today before tomorrow night's Game 1.

With eye on new-look playoffs, Spurs finish strong at the top.

To cap their season, the Spurs were met with four mini-wars against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. In the first game, the Spurs downed the Warriors, 108-99, ending the game on a 13-4 scoring punch. Golden State led by 7 after one, but the Spurs won the 2nd Quarter, 35-20. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points & 20 rebounds, but Steph Curry shot 4-12 from 3PT range (22 points). For the Spurs, KCP had 18 points, hitting 4 threes. Dejounte Murray had 17 points, as did VanVleet. Andre Drummond commanded 17 rebounds, scored 16 points, and swatted The Greek Freak at the rim in a highlight chase-down sequence. Ingram & Fournier combined for 27 points in the win.

The next time around, the stat sheet would deceive you because Brandon Ingram had 29 points, shot almost 50%, but was hounded all game long by Giannis, who is up for Defensive Player of the Year honors this season and showed everyone why, saddening the home crowd as the Spurs failed to pull out the win. Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 17 rebounds with 2 blocks on a night where Steph Curry only scored 13 points. Kevin Knox, II, had 17 points. The Warriors came on strong in the 2nd Quarter, 28-16, then kept scorching the Spurs, 29-24 in the 3rd. San Antonio shot just 38%, losing 94-102 at home. Andre Drummond had 25 rebounds, with VanVleet scoring 19 on five threes.

For the Lakers, San Antonio came out determined to get revenge after a bitter loss last time around. Fred VanVleet scored 17 points in the 1st Quarter alone, bombing four 3PT shots on LeBron & co. The Lakers went cold after the 1st Quarter, en route to a 105-91 home loss as San Antonio never let up. Brandon Ingram scored 16 points. Luka Samanic looked good for 14 points. Andre Drummond had 20 rebounds, and Alex Caruso got the best of Derrick Rose, scoring 8 points with 3 assists (2 steals on Rose). In the loss, James had 23 points & 12 assists. Anthony Davis had 19 points, 10 rebounds. Both Holiday & Rose shot 3-14 from the field.

In the season finale, the other four Spurs players on the court mauled Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who made a buzzer-beating 3PT winner, to countless flash bulbs in front of the AT&T Center crowd, downing the Lakers who'd made a fiery comeback. It was his only 3PTer made in the game, tallying 13 points with 3 defensive steals. The point spread in all four quarters epitomized this bitter rivalry: 21-21, 27-25 (LA), 20-23 (SA) & 26-26 for a 94-95 victory to end the season. The Spurs finished 70-12, overall, after a game that saw LeBron & AD strong-arm their way into the lead. But it was Andre Drummond (22 rebounds, 8 points, 4 blocks) that dunked it home after Fred VanVleet's shot fell short. LeBron James (23 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) would seemingly put the nail in the coffin with 4.4s left, hitting the go-ahead jumper in the clutch. But 1.2s was all the time KCP needed to become a hero!

The Rest: Anthony Davis won player of the game honors, scoring 32 points & 8 rebounds with 3 blocks. Steven Adams had 19 rebounds. A blight on the night was an 0-5 stroke by J.J. Redick, and the Lakers definitely needed more from the Duke sniper, totaling only 3 made 3PT shots as a team.

The Spurs were led by Brandon Ingram's 27 points & 12 rebounds (4 steals). Fred VanVleet had 16 points, hitting four threes including one in the final minutes that kept the Spurs in the mix. Dejounte Murray had 15 points, coming back into the game after the Lakers took a 10-PT lead (57-47), stole the inbound pass and jammed the ball home. Murray had 4 steals. The Spurs, despite KCP's stellar dagger, got lucky, as Evan Fournier had a rough time shooting the ball, going 2-11 & 0-7 from 3PT range.

Spurs drop Bucks and Clippers on the road, 107-92 & 108-95.

The final meeting against Klay Thompson's Bucks went well for the Spurs, with Klay having a rough shooting night. In his stead, ex-Spur Rudy Gay led Milwaukee with 24 points. James Wiseman had a nice double-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds. The Bucks shot just 3-16 from long range, trailing by 26 points after a 28-15 beat-down of a 1st Quarter.

For San Antonio, Fred VanVleet sizzled for 22 points with 6 assists. Brandon Ingram notched 20 points & Andre Drummond flexed on 'em for 20 points, 19 rebounds with 7 thrilling blocks. Luka Samanic had 13 points, with Murray scoring 10 and 16 points from KCP & Fournier.

Next up, the Clippers fell behind after a 30-23 run by the Spurs in the 2nd Quarter. The next two periods went the same way, with L.A. chipping away at the lead through the 3rd Quarter, before the Spurs went up big again to start the 4th Quarter. Kawhi Leonard had a great game with 24 points, but was the sole scorer for the Clippers. Rudy Gobert still got his 17 rebounds, though. Paul George only had 9 points, with Patrick Beverley going 2-9.

In the victory, San Antonio wins the season series, 3-1, led by 25 points from Brandon Ingram. Fred VanVleet had 17 points, hitting a trio of tres with Kent Bazemore finally bouncing back for 14 points. Andre Drummond had 14 boards with 11 points, as his relief JaVale McGee notched a double-double as well of 11 points, 10 rebounds. Dejounte Murray got 3 steals with 10 points & 5 assists. Evan Fournier scored eleven.

Finals foes, 76ers & Spurs, split season series, 98-106 (PHI) & 86-100 (SA).

It took a 33-19 miraculous 4th Quarter, but the Philadelphia 76ers got revenge on their Finals-losing double-overtime defeat last summer, overwhelming the Spurs to win the first game. Ben Simmons tallied 24 points & 7 assists in the victory, and James Harden redeemed a cold shooting night (7-19, 2-9 3PT) to spark the huge run with 10 assists (16 points). Tobias Harris had 16 points, 7 rebounds & Julius Randle (free agent acquisition) scored 12 points with 12 rebounds. Clint Capela tore down 11 rebounds with 8 points.

In the loss, the Spurs had trouble as soon as Brandon Ingram's shot went awry, finishing with 15 points only despite 9 rebounds (6-14, 1-5 3PT). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed plenty of nice looks in the clutch, totaling 15 points also (5-16, 3-9 3PT). Evan Fournier had a nice showing with 14 points, 6 assists. Dejounte Murray was also quiet, for just 13 points and Andre Drummond struggled to score for just 9 points & 15 rebounds. The Spurs had 11 turnovers, tarnishing a 14 points lead at one moment in the game.

Things got better next time around, as the Spurs held Philly to just 86 points. Ingram's redemption came in the form of 31 points, 5 rebounds & 5 assists (15-20 FG) with 4 steals. Dejounte Murray dished 5 assists with 15 points and 2 steals, gunning for Simmons (14 points, 6 rebounds, 6/20 FG, 3 turnovers). James Harden had 16 points, but shot just 8/18 with 4 turnovers of his own. Julius Randle had 14 points, with Clint Capela owning 17 rebounds & 10 points.

In the win, Evan Fournier had 13 points with KCP's 12 behind him. Fred VanVleet scored 11 this time around, hitting a trio of long balls with 14 rebounds by Drummond down low. It seems a third meeting is likely, even with the new playoff seeding on the horizon as the Spurs improve to 50-6 on the season.

After wins against Denver & Utah, Drummond returns as Spurs rally to win in Boston, 117-108.

Kemba Walker was hot early and Jayson Tatum put the Celtics up by as many as 16 points. Boston's star duo combined for 52 points, yet it was still not enought to fend off the tenacity of the Spurs, boosted by 41 points by Brandon Ingram (19-28 FG%), stellar defense by Fred VanVleet (7 steals, 11 points, 12 assists) & the return of Andre Drummond (9 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists).

At the helm, Dejounte Murray was effective with 18 points, 5 assists. Evan Fournier also hit clutch 3's for the Spurs, scoring 17 points. JaVale McGee scored 8 points, 7 rebounds. The scoring went 27-30, Boston; 23-31, Boston; 30-18, San Antonio & 37-29, San Antonio as the Spurs rallied to win this thrilling game.

Kemba Walker had 10 assists, dishing to Romeo Langford (13 points) but Boston failed to get strong contributions from the supporting cast, causing the Spurs to double-team Walker and isolate Tatum as they went on the huge run that stole the lead. Tatum stole it back momentarily, before the Spurs overwhelmed the Celtics.