Season 51, Game 73
San Antonio 124, Utah 120 (OT)
43-30, 6th in the West

This is exactly the battle we all expected between two of the best defensive teams in the NBA.

Wait, what?

Sometimes all preconceptions and prologue get thrown out the window, and a single game becomes a unique entry in the ledger, unexpected and perfect. This was one of those games. What a battle. What performances. The Jazz didn’t lose this game; the Spurs went out and won it.

LaMarcus Aldridge continued his late-season push to win over the hearts of every Spurs fan who scorned him last year. Dropping in 45 points on 28 shots, he went at possibly the best defensive backcourt in the league and made them look silly. Like most every game this home stand, LaMarcus was a beast in the paint, diversifying his usual array of midrangers with strong low post play. It’s no coincidence that he helped to seal the game in OT with a huge offensive rebound between the Jazz big men.

This is easily his best season as a Spur, but this might be Aldridge’s best season as a professional NBA player. He might have better seasons as a scorer or as a shooter, but when taken as a whole (and considering defense), this might be it. He is doing exactly what you expect a star player to do on a roster full of good supporting players: carry them to the playoffs.

As was mentioned on the latest Spurs Dynasty Podcast, we might finally have reached the best version of this team. Despite all the drama and the unusual levels of losing, this team appears to be peaking at just the right time. We’re still no match against Golden State and Houston without our missing superstar, but we can compete with anybody else in the West. Yes, this recent 6-game winning streak was all at home. But look at the opponents: with the exception of the Orlando Magic, every team we played was a playoff team fighting for something. It took solid play to win these games. 4-2 would have been a good stretch. 5-1 would have been amazing. 6-0 is perfect…and probably saved our playoff lives.

More than just winning, the team finally looks like a team. The offense looks smooth. The defense is locked in. There is palpable chemistry. We mentioned Aldridge, but other players also seem to be peaking. Manu Ginobili continues his improbable season at age 40, continuing to contribute to winning basketball in every facet of the game. Rudy Gay looks all the way back from his mid-season injuries, and looks very comfortable on both ends of the court. He is perfectly cast as a scoring 6th man, playing alongside other seasoned vets in Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Pau Gasol.

Danny Green, Kyle Anderson, and Patty Mills are playing their roles perfectly in the starting lineup, giving just enough shooting, playmaking, and defense to make that lineup potent.

And Coach Pop seems to have accepted going small, locking into the starting lineup that features Aldridge as the center. He rarely plays Gasol and Aldridge together anymore, rather opting for some version of a stretch-4 (Gay, Anderson, or Davis Bertans) alongside either Aldridge or Gasol. Most importantly, he’s getting lots of reps for lots of different looks for whatever the team might face in the playoffs.

It’s been a disappointing season for so many reasons. But as we head towards the playoffs, it’s nice to see the team finally coming together and playing to the best of their ability, even if that isn’t the lofty reaches we were hoping for in October. It’s fun to watch and cheer for this team again, and that’s something.

The Spurs head out on a two-game road trip, facing the Bucks and Wizards. Both are playoff teams, but both are beatable. 2-0 is possible, but 1-1 seems more realistic.

The fist game is Sunday in Milwaukee.

Go Spurs Go.