By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
On Monday night (09/04), the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Orlando Magic 98-85 and clinched a playoff spot for the 21st straight year. Even though Greg Popovich’s team has struggled with injuries throughout this season and is missing its biggest star in Kawhi Leonard.
Despite this back and forth with Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio’s team has a 47-43 record, which is good enough for the fifth spot in the tough Western Conference.
Manu Ginobili who has been a candidate for the sixth man of the year award scored 17 points in the Spurs’ victory over the Magic. After the game, he stated how important this win was: “For moments we felt like the worst team in the NBA, but we still managed to go close to 50 games and make it to the playoffs in a conference that is tough and talented. Young and athletic. So, we managed to compete,” Ginobili stated.
The Spurs will play their final game of the regular season on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The table below shows the twenty-one seasons, the record, and the position in the standings.
| Season | Record | Position |
| 2017-18 | 47-34 | 5th |
| 2016-17 | 61-21 | 2nd |
| 2015-16 | 67-15 | 2nd |
| 2014-15 | 55-27 | 6th |
| 2013-14 | 62-20 | 1st |
| 2012-13 | 58-24 | 2nd |
| 2011-12 | 50-16 | 1st |
| 2010-11 | 61-21 | 1st |
| 2009-10 | 50-32 | 7th |
| 2008-09 | 54-28 | 3rd |
| 2007-08 | 56-26 | 3rd |
| 2006-07 | 58-24 | 3rd |
| 2005-06 | 63-19 | 1st |
| 2004-05 | 59-23 | 2nd |
| 2003-04 | 57-25 | 3rd |
| 2002-03 | 60-22 | 1st |
| 2001-02 | 58-24 | 2nd |
| 2000-01 | 58-24 | 1st |
| 1999-00 | 53-29 | 4th |
| 1998-99 | 37-13 | 1st |
| 1997-98 | 56-26 | 5th |
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