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With four banners already hanging from the AT&T center, the San Antonio Spurs are once again in contention for a NBA Championship as the organization seeks its 5th title. Clinging to the best record in the league with just one week to go in the regular season, the Spurs are attempting to secure home court advantage throughout the playoffs. This year's team has already surpassed all basketball analysts’ expectations by finishing atop the Western Conference ahead of rival Los Angeles Lakers. The playoffs are expected to be highly competitive and challenging for all teams involved so winning a fifth title will not be easy. But overcoming challenges is not something new to the franchise as they had to prosper through a strike shortened season to win their first title.

The Championship Season

The San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA title in 1999. That year was a strike shortened season due to a labor dispute leading to a lockout resulting in only 50 of the normal 82 games being played in during the regular season. Missing the first three months of the season, the team started off slow going 6-8 in their first 14 games due to poor chemistry and teamwork. However, they quickly turned it around as Coach Gregg Popovich rallied his troops to finish strong going 31-6 the rest of the way; finishing the season with the league's best record 37-13.

The Playoffs

The playoffs structure was the same as previous years with eight teams from each conference making the playoffs. The first matchup for the number one seeded Spurs was the Kevin Garnett led Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves finished the regular season with a 25-25 record and squeaked into the playoffs by virtue of winning a tiebreaker over the Seattle Supersonics who had a similar record. The Spurs received a scare from the lower seeded Timberwolves as the team lost game two of the series on their home floor. The team now having to go to Minnesota for the next two games had their backs against the wall once again. However, as during the season the team rallied to beat the Timberwolves twice in Minnesota. The Spurs won the series three games to one and advanced to the second round to play the rival Los Angeles Lakers.

Second Round

The Spurs, as well as the rest of the league, expected the Los Angeles Lakers to be a tough matchup for the San Antonio Spurs. Led by the big, dominating force in the middle Shaquille O'Neal and upstart guard Kobe Bryant the Lakers looked challenging. The Spurs however, were clicking on all cylinders and easily swept through the Lakers winning the second round series four games to none.

The Western Conference Finals

The Portland Trailblazers were San Antonio's next road block to their first ever NBA Championship appearance. The Trailblazers coming off their upset defeat over the number two seeded Utah Jazz, were riding high and feeling confident. The Spurs however, were also on a roll and posed to take care of business as usual. The first two games in San Antonio were highly competitive and very close as the Spurs won game one by only four points and needed a last second three pointer by forward Sean Elliot to win game two by one point, 86-85. The next two games in Portland however were not as close. The Spurs found their groove and easily cruised past the Trailblazers to sweep the series four games to none and advance to their first ever NBA Finals.

The NBA Finals

The San Antonio Spurs headed into their first ever NBA Finals on a roll with a ten game winning streak. Standing between them and the NBA Crown was the scrappy and aggressive New York Knickerbockers (Knicks). The Knicks, who barely made the playoffs as the 8th seed, ripped through the Eastern Conference playoffs with an 11-5 record upsetting team after team. Even though the Spurs were heavy favorites, the style of play the Knicks brought to the court concerned Coach Gregg Popovich and the Western Conference Champions.

The game plan Coach Popovich put in place to counter the Knicks style of play allowed the Spurs to win the first two games of the NBA Championship series in San Antonio quite easily. As the series shifted to New York, Game 3 proved to be a different story though. The Knicks showed why they were giving so many teams in the playoffs trouble as they fought and clawed their way to an 89-81 victory handing the Spurs their first loss in the last 13 games.

Leading the series two games to one, the Spurs knew they had to bounce back quickly in order to maintain control of the series and not give the Knicks hope and confidence. The Spurs came out charging in Game 4 and were able to take a 3-1 series lead as they defeated New York 96-89. Feeling the Knicks morale and confidence had been shattered, experts and analysts expected New York to crumble to the pressure and fade away without a fight. But that was not the case.

Game 5 of the series proved to be the toughest battle of the playoffs for the Spurs. The two teams fought hard and battled back and forth until the San Antonio Spurs floor general Avery Johnson hit a jump shot with 47 seconds left to clinch the championship with a 78-77 victory over the New York Knickerbockers. The Spurs celebrated their first ever NBA Championship as they defeating the Knickerbockers four games to one. Tim Duncan who averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the series and was named Finals MVP.

The 1998-1999 Spurs Championship Roster

Antonio Daniels, Tim Duncan, Mario Elie, Sean Elliot, Andrew Gaze, Jaren Jackson, Avery Johnson, Steve Kerr, Jerome Kersey, Gerard King, Will Perdue, David Robinson, Malik Rose, Brandon Williams

Category:Sports

Category:Basketball

External links

• spurs.com