SAN ANTONIO -- Just as déjà vu from previous fourth quarter collapses started to seep in, the San Antonio Spurs flipped the script into a tale of the feel-good variety Thursday in fending off a late rally by the New Orleans Pelicans to capture a 98-93 win and a spot back inside the Western Conference's top eight.
The victory marked the first time since the end of January that the Spurs won two in a row.
Fighting frantically to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 season, San Antonio remains in must-win mode for the remainder of its current six-game home stand, which continues Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by matchups with the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz.