The Kid Stays in the Picture

Spurs-Suns games always seem to follow a familiar narrative, regardless of the rotating cast of players. Little runs by each team to go up 6 or 7; opposing runs to level the score; odd shifts in momentum, during which either team looks like they could very easily pull away, yet never do. And always, coming down to under 5 minutes, the score is close. For years, it was always the Spurs who wrote the ending of these stories, breaking the hearts of the Suns and their fans.

Then, last year, a funny thing happened. The Suns flipped the script on us, and rattled off 7 victories against us, including a humiliating 4-game sweep in the playoffs. Suddenly it seemed as if we just didn't have the offensive juice or the defensive mojo to play with these scrappy Suns anymore.

But after last night, all is right with the world again.

There are some teams that the Spurs play with which analysis is mostly futile: the Suns and the Mavs are the most obvious. So let's just enjoy another good victory against the Suns, and thank whatever entity you pray to (or not) that Richard Jefferson seems to be figuring it out and has bought at least a timeshare in the Bruce Bowen corner.

Thank you, Richard Jefferson. I swear I always believed in you, even if my words, my body language, my spirit, my anger, and every fiber of my being said otherwise.

Looking Forward:

The Spurs are back home Saturday night against the Rockets. The Rockets beat us handily a few times last year. They're also struggling this year, having yet to win a game. They will be playing desperate, and they always give us a good fight. I'm hoping for another strong win, but bracing for the possibility of another Hornets-like downgraded effort. Prove me wrong, Spurs.