The San Antonio Spurs begin a three-game Western Conference road trip tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers as they search for their third win of the new year. Rounds one and two went to their Pacific Coast foes, but perhaps the third time will be the charm for Gregg Popovich and his gifted collection of youngsters.
Despite a brief stint at the top of the league standings earlier this season, Portland has lost seven of their last nine games, slipping into 13th place in the conference. They also squandered a 25-point halftime lead to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, which could leave them highly motivated or debilitated for the SEGABABA.