Austinist knows many of you prefer football or baseball. Some of you like basketball, but think college ball is better than pro. We implore you to start watching the Spurs/Mavericks series, because if you can't get excited about this, you don't like sports at all. With former Spur Avery Johnson coaching the Mavericks, former Mavericks Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel playing for the Spurs, and the in-state rivalry factor all in full effect,... more ›

Holy smokes. Anyone watching Sunday's breathtaking Game 1 simply can't wait for the next battle in the Spurs/Mavericks showdown: everyone, that is, except for fans of either team, who all had heart attacks and keeled over from the intensity. To recap: Tim Duncan dropped 31 points, Bruce Bowen played great defense on Dirk, and the Spurs pulled off an (extremely) narrow 87-85 victory when Jerry Stackhouse airballed on the final possession. The Mavs led... more ›

Can the Spurs finally repeat as NBA Champions? ESPN doesn't think so. CNN/SI, not so much. Charles Barkley? No. And the Spurs' first opponent, Ron Artest and the Sacramento Kings? Absolutely not. So despite the emergence of Tony Parker as an All-Star, the addition of Michael Finley to their bench, and a record-setting 63-win season, the Spurs go into the playoffs...as decided underdogs. Wild, eh? Most of the naysayers believe that the Spurs will... more ›

If the San Antonio Spurs want to stay healthy for the playoffs, Austinist suggests they avoid playing the Denver Nuggets ever again. The Nugs are gaining some notoriety around the league for replicating the bruising style of the Knicks and Heat of the early 90's, and last night proved to be no exception. Tim Duncan got poked in the eye twice, Tony Parker was literally tackled on a lay-up, and Ginobili was thrown into... more ›

There are still six weeks left in the NBA season, but a lot is on the line tonight in San Antonio. The Spurs (44-12 on the season) play the Mavericks (45-11) this evening, and the winner walks away with the Western Conference lead and a likely season series tiebreaker. more ›

According to the San Antonio-Express News, Robert Horry has agreed, in principle, to re-sign with the World Champion San Antonio Spurs for three more years, with the third year being an option year for the team. Players can not officially sign contracts until the July 22 free agent signing period begins, but Horry’s agent, Robert Barr, is confident his client will be returning to the river city to chase his seventh championship. The Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat had both expressed interest in signing the legendary playoff performer, but Horry says he recognized the best opportunity to win more jewelry was with Tim Duncan and Co. more ›

It is often said that defending a championship is one of the hardest things to do in professional sports. Therefore, we give proper kudos to the Detroit Pistons for returning to the NBA Finals, after a gutsy run through the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Pistons had to slug thru several difficult series under constant media speculation about the fate of their wanderlust-suffering coach. They are professionals (except when Rasheed Wallace loses his mind, God bless him) and, in the words of their coach, “they play the game the right way.” With that said, we think the Spurs will beat the Pistons in five games, rolling to their third championship in the past seven years. more ›