By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
As the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns both won their final regular-season games on Thursday, the San Antonio Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 season, a 23-year long streak, though head coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t dwell much on the past as he told reporters in the post-game presser.
“The streak? What are you talking about? Did you talk about the streak at all before it ended? Or was this important when it ended?” he asked in a what it seemed an annoyed tone, before breaking down the joke with “I’m just screwing with you.”
“It means a lot to a lot of people probably, but I don’t dwell a lot on the past. That stuff’s totally [not] important, what’s important is the moment you do what you’ve got to do then you move on, but looking at the past doesn’t do much good”, he said.
The Spurs knew their streak ended before their 118-112 loss to the Utah Jazz, though coach Popovich focused on the upside of things and the way his team played in the bubble.
“I could care less about that. I’m thrilled at the way they played here”, added Popovich. “They had no shot to get into this thing and basically willed themselves into it to have this opportunity. The development of the young kids largely playing the way they did, this is the best we’ve played all year. I’ve really enjoyed it.”