SAN ANTONIO — Spurs fans knew it had to end someday. After all, nothing goes on forever.
Still, it's been tough for Silver and Black loyalists to come to grips with the possibility that the franchise's cherished streak of playoff appearances could end this season.
The angst is understandable, considering a generation of San Antonio fans has grown up accustomed to seeing the Spurs make the playoffs every year.
There's still time – albeit not much – for the Silver and Black to catch fire and advance to the postseason for an NBA-record 23rd consecutive year. But given how they've struggled to string together victories this season, it's unlikely they'll make the cut.
The Spurs' run of 22 straight playoff appearances is tied for No. 1 in NBA history with the Philadelphia 76ers, who were the Syracuse Nationals when they started their streak in 1950. The Silver and Black's run is the longest active playoff streak in any major North American pro sports league.
San Antonio (23-31) went into the All-Streak break stuck in 10th place in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference, trailing No. 8 Memphis (28-26) by five games and No. 9 Portland by one. The top eight teams in each conference advance advance to the playoffs.
The Spurs, who have been off since Feb. 12 for the All-Star break, resume their annual Rodeo Road Trip at Utah on Friday and complete the stretch of eight straight road games at Oklahoma City on Sunday. San Antonio's next home game is against Interstate 35 rival Dallas next Wednesday (Feb. 26).
The Spurs' 23-31 record is their worst at the All-Star break since the 1996-97 season, which is the last time they failed to make the playoffs. To put that in perspective, ponder this: Tim Duncan was a senior at Wake Forest then.
With 28 games left on their schedule – 15 at home and 13 on the road – the Silver and Black face the daunting task of overtaking a Memphis team that is 2-1 against San Antonio this season. But there's hope for the Spurs.
To wit: The Grizzlies have the league's toughest remaining schedule (.554 opponents’ winning percentage) down the stretch.
By comparison, the Spurs have the 20th most difficult schedule, with their remaining opponents combining for a .488 winning percentage. But they still must play Denver twice, Utah three times and Houston once. No. 2 seed Denver eliminated No. 7 San Antonio in a grinding seven-game first-round playoff series last year.
While the Silver and Black have lost twice to the Grizzlies, their 145-115 victory in Memphis two days before Christmas is their most lopsided of the season. The teams complete their season series March 16 at the AT&T Center, where the Grizzlies pulled out a 113-109 victory on Nov. 11.
With No. 11 New Orleans (23-32), No. 12 Phoenix (22-33) and Nov. 13 Sacramento (21-33) still in the hunt, the Spurs will have little margin for error as they try to climb to the No. 8 spot.
The team to watch is New Orleans, which trails San Antonio by only half a game. There's also this: The Pelicans have the league's easiest schedule (.449 opponents' winning percentage) down the stretch. New Orleans also has phenom Zion Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's NBA Draft.
The Spurs lead Phoenix by only 1.5 games and Sacramento by two.
After the Silver and Black beat OKC in their last game before the All-Star break, coach Gregg Popovich had one directive for his players.
“Just get away from basketball,” Popovich said. “Don’t even think about it. You need to clear your mind sometimes, and you’ll be more ready when you come back.”
The victory against the Thunder ended a five-game slide for the Spurs, with all the losses coming on their rodeo trip.
The only consistent aspect of the Spurs this season has been their maddening inconsistency. After starting the season with three straight wins at home, they have cobbled together that many victories only one other time this season.
San Antonio has beaten Milwaukee, which has the best record in the league, and won at Toronto and Boston, the second and third-place teams in the Eastern Conference. But the Silver and Black have lost to the likes of sub-.500 teams Atlanta (twice), Cleveland (at the AT&T Center), Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota (twice).
Moving forward, the Spurs' playoff hopes will hinge on their defense, as usual. For good reason, Popovich has described this season's team as being "defensively challenged." A number of close losses can be attributed to the Silver and Black's defensive breakdowns and untimely lapses.
It makes one wonder if playing good defense is even in this team's DNA. As Popovich has said time and again during his long tenure with the Spurs: Offense comes and goes, but a team always gives itself a chance to win if it plays good defense consistently.
On the offensive end, small forward DeMar DeRozan has been a model of consistency. He leads the team in scoring (23.0) and assists (5.2), and is third in rebounding (5.7).
Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge also has played well, averaging 19.1 points and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds a game.
If the Spurs can play gritty defense with some degree of consistency and step up their three-point shooting, they could sneak into the playoffs. We'll see.
