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This is the year for the Spurs and it is evident to almost everybody around the country.
The Eastern battle between the Knicks and Pacers will allow one of them to fall to the Spurs in the finals. But this brings me to my dilemma. As a vocal Knick hater and Spurs fan, seeing a win over the Knicks in the finals would be about as sweet as anything can be for me.
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Now that the Spurs have won the Western Conference Championships I have no doubt that they will go all the way, win another four games and be crowned the 1999 NBA Champions.
Call it arrogance, call it cockiness, call it what you want, but I just have that feeling that this will be our year. From the start of the season I always told anyone that would listen that whatever team wins the West will win the title. When the Spurs were starting their second round series against LA I thought that the winner of that series should win the title. Now that the Spurs have swept past LA and went on to embarass a good team in Portland I have total faith in San Antonio.
Fifteen Reasons why the Spurs
will be this years NBA Champions
By Gene Hoffmann, 8th of June, 1999.
1999 NBA coach of the year Mike Dunleavy and the Blazers are too over confident with there series against San Antonio. Now that they are trailing (at publication time), the Western Conference Finals series by dropping the first three games surely that confidence should be lacking.
Dunleavy and the Trailblazers should
put their money where their mouths are
By Matthew Muscat, 6th of June, 1999.
No shot was ever bigger in Spurs history than the 'Memorial Day Miracle', Sean Elliott's amazing 3 pointer to bring the Spurs all the way back from an 18-point deficit to take Game 2 from the Portland Trailblazers in the Alamodome last Monday. I have heard from various sources that in years past, Elliott was perceived as one who would pass up pressure shots. What a way to silence the critics! I have followed Sean since his high school days in Tucson, AZ where Cholla High School has the gym named after him. The whole city of San Antonio would probably name him Mayor after his game saving performance.
As the West Coast correspondent, I have had to look for creative ways to tell a story after these Spurs swept the Lakers. Here are my takes all having to do with my favorite Spur, Sean Elliott aka "the Ninja."
Elliott-trey-fying
By Joe Tangonan, 5th of June, 1999.
It's 6:30 am on Sunday morning and I'm badly hungover. My bedside alarm goes off and I slowly reach over and hit the off button. My head throbs and my mouth tastes like I've been licking the beer off the floor of some filthy bar. I roll out of bed and get dressed not forgetting to pull on my well worn 'lucky' David Robinson jersey (the white home strip because we're playing at the Alamodome today). I stumble into the lounge room and turn on the TV, flick the remote over to ESPN and turn up the pro-logic system nice and loud.
My heart beats a little harder and I feel butterflies welling in my stomach. It's the first game of the Western Conference Finals and my beloved Spurs are playing the Portland Trailblazers. I'd give anything to be at the Alamodome right now with the 30,000 odd other Spurs fans cheering the guys on to victory but I live on the other side of the world in Australia and besides, I've got to work later on tonight.
A Spurs fan stranded in Australia
By Gene Hoffmann, 30th of May, 1999.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- I've written about how the 1999 San Antonio Spurs reminded me of the 1995 team and how the team also had
experience, which would lead them to the promised land. I've finally been able to put the two together; this team is very similar to the
1989 Detroit Pistons.
It's hard to believe but it true. Look at the make up of this team and then look at the roster of the Pistons that year. For the Pistons
they had Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Vinny Johnson, John Sallye, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn. Those guys were key
to the back to back championship they won. Everyone knew their role. Now think about this team. A.J., Sean, Mario, Tim and David have
a supporting cast of Antonio Daniels, Malik Rose, Jerome Kersey and Will Perdue.
Ten Years Ago...Detroit Was In This Same Position
By Gregory Moore, 25th of May, 1999.
What a tough-minded, determined bunch of Spurs we have marching to the conference finals. These "Hard" Spurs are not getting much
credit however in California. The focus here seems to be how the Lakers made more mistakes to give the series away than the Spurs
were to earn the wins.
The LA Wrap
By Joe Tangonan, 25th of May, 1999.
The San Antonio Spurs have learnt a lot since 1995.
After the Spurs finished with the best record in the NBA 62-20 in the 94-95 season. A Spurs fan
at the Alamodome, called out to Sean Elliott; "Can you say championship", Elliott responded to
the fan with excitement.
But that excitement didn't last long.
The San Antonio Spurs have learnt a lot since 1995
By Matthew Muscat, 20th of May, 1999.
Being in LA Tuesday a day after the Spurs win in Game 1, all of the LA Fans were crying that
the biggest baddest Shaqzilla in all the land was being man-handled by the stifling defense of
the Spurs. The near 60% field goal percentage of Shaq was down lower than his old number in
Orlando #32. Shaq shot 31.6% in game 1. Shaq vows that he will be more ready to take matter in
his own hands come Wednesday.
LA Writers say the soft Spurs now have thick skin
By Joe Tangonan, 20th of May, 1999.
I have had some problems with what Popovich has done this season, but he deserves credit for a
good tactical move: Use Duncan to guard Shaq. Duncan does not pick up many fouls in the game
and had none by halftime.
Duncan on Shaq- Credit Pop
By Spurn, 19th of May, 1999.
There's a reason why the San Antonio Spurs are playing well this season. Experience. Believe it
or not but it is experience that is putting an Indiana/San Antonio matchup. Now that would be
something, an all former ABA matchup. Okay but back to the present.
There is a reason why San Antonio, Portland and Utah were battling it out for the top seed.
These three teams had something that Los Angeles, Phoenix and Sacramento didn't have and that
one thing is experience.
Here's what experience means in the playoffs.
It's All About Experience
By Gregory Moore, 18th of May, 1999.
In the end, the Spurs will win based on two factors which still escape the Lakers: team-play
and defense. The Lakers in the Houston series clearly showed they still lack both. In each of
their wins against Houston, the Rockets were down early; but every time, the Lakers let them
back into the game. The reason was because the Lakers do not posess the defense to prevent
this. It is only because the Rockets rely on tired legs and rookie shooters that they were not
able to capitalize on LA's failings. The Spurs, however, do not falter so easily and would
complete the comeback.
How the Spurs Will Beat the Lakers
By Spurn, 17th of May, 1999.
After stumbling through the Minnesota Timberwolves first round series the San Antonio Spurs now
move on to the Los Angeles Lakers.
One thing is for sure, the Spurs will not get through this seven game series if they play with
the same intensity that they met the Timberwolves with. The Spurs have to win every home game
and try to steal as many as they can from the Lakers at the Forum.
The Match-ups- Spurs V's The Lakers
By Gene Hoffmann, 16th of May, 1999.
What are your expectations of your Spurs team? A championship? A good playoff run?
I ask the question because I didn't know what to expect from this team at the beginning of the
season. Would TD hit a wall as a sophomore? Would David be injured? Would Sean be healthy?
How would Antonio play? What was the make up of the bench? These were just some of my questions
because at that time in January, nobody had a clue as to what would happen in May.
What Are Your Expectations?
By Gregory Moore, 14th of May, 1999.
1999 Spurs vs 1998 Spurs
Perdue is Worth His Price
David Deserves Better
Fire Popovich, Spurs Win
The Spurs Report Card
Who the Hell is Andrew Gaze?
Fifteen Big Question Marks for the Spurs
Give Sean Elliott A Break!
