There's going to be a shootout deep in the heart of Texas. Tonight, the San Antonio Spurs host the champion Los Angeles Lakers in a nationally televised game. The Spurs enter the match-up coming off of a narrow four-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Monday night, 102-98, which snapped their four-game winning streak. The Spurs' star post player, Tim Duncan, managed his NBA-leading 42nd double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds in the effort, continuing his MVP campaign. He currently ranks in the NBA Top 20 in 17 statistical categories, and averages 21.1 points per game along with 11.9 rebounds.
The rise of other Western Conference teams, such as the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings, has put the Spurs back in the familiar dark-horse role. And despite Monday's loss to the Bucks, the Spurs loom in the thick of the championship hunt. The team fell a half game back of the Midwest Division-leading Utah Jazz, who took over the top-spot the same night by defeating the Boston Celtics.
The team's all-star frontcourt tandem of Duncan and David Robinson, which led the Spurs to their 1999 NBA Championship, continues to be the driving force, but the playoff success will depend on the rest of the line-up.
Free agent acquisition Derek Anderson (who dunked over 7-6 Dallas center Shawn Bradley) has been amazing thus far. Anderson is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.6 points, 4.2 boards, and 3.6 assists per game, and also leads the team with 69 steals. More significantly, Anderson gives the team an explosive scorer who can slash to the basket on offense and shut down opponents on defense.
Antonio Daniels' improvement this season has also changed the way the Spurs play. In point guard Avery Johnson's absence, Daniels has averaged 10.4 points and 4.8 assists. He's had help running the show, however, with veteran leader Terry Porter recapturing his youth.
Though Porter might not run as many set plays, the Spurs' offense is at least as efficient, if not more, with him on the floor. He has kept defenders on their heels with his ability to abruptly pull up behind the three-point line, and more importantly, his defensive lapses also have been kept to a minimum recently.
As a team, the Spurs have five of their regular players shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. With the twin towers drawing double teams down low and Anderson cutting to the hoop, the Spurs have gotten a lot of open outside shots, which was key in their first title.
Another element that brought them prior success is team defense, which will be instrumental in their chances to win this season. In an eight-game win streak that extended from Jan. 23 to Feb. 7, the Spurs kept their opponents' field-goal percentage between 35 and 39 percent for the first seven games.
With ailing starters Johnson and Sean Elliot returning to the line-up, the Spurs look strong, and aim to remain so in the remaining two months of the season. There is minor cause for concern, however, with recent performance of stalwart center Robinson.
There are legitimate questions directed at Robinson of late. While averaging a respectable 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds, and posting 120 blocked shots thusfar, the Admiral has been slowed in the past few games, perhaps feeling the effects of banging his knee against Cleveland nearly two weeks ago.
He has looked rigid and a step slow since the All-Star break. Against Dallas last Tuesday, Robinson was held scoreless. The only other time that has happened in his 12-year career, he was knocked unconscious by an elbow from Karl Malone and did not finish the game. Coach Gregg Popovich only played him a combined 40 minutes against Dallas and Washington.
Though a large portion of the season remains, the Spurs seem to have found a formula for success. It seems now, as is the case with any conference foe, the Spurs must be wary of injury potentially sabotaging what has been an encouraging year.
If the Spurs can stay healthy, enduring the remaining months, they easily will be among the leading candidates to come out of the West. And while tonight's match-up with the Lakers is not necessarily a playoff preview, there is likely to be a familiar intensity.
