The San Antonio Spurs are preparing to embark on what has to be one of the toughest roadtrips that anyone will take all season: at Golden State, at Oklahoma City, at Houston, all within a five-day span. That’s a brutal schedule.
NBA scores 2018: Could the Spurs actually miss the playoffs? And 5 more things from Monday night
San Antonio is in some trouble, maybe.
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It’s not great timing for the 37-27 team that has lost eight of their last 11 games. On Monday, San Antonio did eek out a crucial win, though. Imagine if they had dropped that one, too! It took a heroic bench performance since their starting five provided just 33 points combined, something that Tony Parker (23) and Davis Bertans (17) single-handedly outmatched. (Danny Green also notched 14 points off the bench, the third double-digit scorer off the bench on Monday.)
In a ridiculously tight Western Conference, San Antonio ends the season with roadtrip toughies, one after another after another. They still have games remaining with Houston and Golden State. All this has put them in two unenviable positions: that they might not hit 50 wins for the first time since the lockout shortened 1998-99 season, and more worrisome, that they might not make the playoffs at all.
The strange Kawhi Leonard injury debacle has turned a promising year and impossibly good start into something much more questionable. The Spurs might have a couple more wins banked than other teams, and they have a devilish way of always finding ways to come out victorious. But their rough stretch is beginning to look like it could be the start of something even worse.
Tanking has begun
Chicago got walloped, of course.
Even without Kyrie Irving
Boston rallied for five double-digit performances, led by Jaylen Brown’s 21 points.
This was a hell of a pass
More from Monday
Monday’s scores
Cavaliers 112, Pistons 90 (Fear the Sword recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)
Pacers 92, Bucks 89 (Indy Cornrows recap | Brew Hoop recap)
Heat 125, Suns 103 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Bright Side of the Sun recap)
Celtics 105, Bulls 89 (Celtics Blog recap | Blog a Bull recap)
Spurs 100, Grizzlies 98 (Pounding the Rock recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap)
Jazz 94, Magic 80 (SLC Dunk recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)
Trail Blazers 108, Lakers 103 (Blazer’s Edge recap | Silver Screen & Roll recap)
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