AN ANTONIO – Gregg Popovich has been around long enough to know you don't mess with the basketball gods, especially when it comes to injuries.
The Spurs have started the same five players in all 40 games this season: DeJuan Blair, Tim Duncan , Manu Ginobili , Richard Jefferson and Tony Parker. When asked if that can continue, he said: "I try not to think about it."
As much as anything, health is why the Spurs are running away with the Western Conference.
Popovich rattled off Houston, Portland, the Lakers, Utah and, of course, the Mavericks as teams that have fallen on hard times – through no fault of their own. It's just bad luck with injuries.
"It really is a big factor," he said. "We're really one of the few teams in the West that hasn't been affected. Maybe it's everybody else is the lucky teams. They've got it now and maybe we're going to get it on April 2 or March 15.
"But it's been to our advantage so far and it shows in the record. It's not because we invented a new play or we're that much better than everybody. That's totally untrue."
Popovich said the Lakers still appear to be the cream of the West. But he added that the Mavericks "were real close to them" before Dirk Nowitzki got hurt.
And then, the injury gods cursed them. Nobody ever said the NBA was fair.
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