The San Antonio Spurs recently had an outstanding match against the Houston Rockets Wednesday, ending the game with a 111-99 victory.
This game had me on the edge of my seat as with any other game. Only this game was a little more different.
We just played the Rockets the week prior on Jan. 20, to which we unfortunately faced a 106-111 defeat. In my eyes, this was a rematch against them, and we had to take back the win they stole from us.
It was a little scary at first as the Spurs ended the first quarter 26-26. They continued to trail behind the Rockets until the end of the third quarter where a 16-4 run by the Spurs brought the score to 79-78.
Thankfully, the Spurs kept up the momentum throughout the fourth quarter. In the end, we were able to come out on top and now have a 2-1 lead in the season series. It’s really looking like we’re making playoffs in April.
Overall, this game was an exciting ride to be on. The team put on a terrific performance for the fans, but I guarantee you it was also for someone else watching.
That same day happened to be the birthday of Gregg Popovich, president and former head coach of the Spurs. After his health scare last year, we have not seen much of Pop, but he still matters a great deal to us fans.
Personally, the win feels a little more special than others. I can only imagine the team wanted to give him a victory to celebrate his birthday.
While many of us cried and celebrated at the best gift for Pop the Spurs could’ve given him, it seems like the other side was impacted as well.
What I saw scrolling through social media that night caught me off guard. Many fans of the Rockets were commenting under the Spurs’ victory post, congratulating the team for winning.
One commenter mentioned how the team deserved to “bring home the dub” to Pop, and another mentioned how they couldn’t help but get teary-eyed after finding out it was also Pop’s birthday.
Usually, the rivalry among teams can be so intense that a team’s comment section after games can be very toxic. However, this time it wasn’t, at least not from what I gathered.
To be frank, it was a nice change of pace during these times where it feels everyone is at each other’s throats.
