3 Ways the San Antonio Spurs can pull off an improbable play-in win

2. The San Antonio Spurs need DeMar DeRozan to go nuclear

If the Spurs have one of those nights where they can't hit anything from the perimeter, they're definitely going to need DeMar DeRozan to have a vintage performance. I'm talking a 35-point, 11-assist kind of game.

Unfortunately, there's only one player on the roster you can count on nightly to at least get you 20 and come up with clutch buckets -- DeMar. While he's not quite a superstar (though we can all agree he's an All-Star by now), his offensive repertoire makes him a dangerous weapon in a single-game situation.

The 11-year veteran has put up 11 games of 30-plus points this season and had a near triple-double against the Grizzlies with 28, nine, and nine in a December Spurs win. Scoring isn't the only thing the Spurs will need from him on Wednesday, though.

DeRozan's career-high 7.0 assists per game this season has made him a threat no matter where he is on the court, and he'll need to engage every aspect of his all-around game to give the Spurs a chance to keep their season alive.

You can see the passion DeRozan plays with every time he's on the court, and everyone knows just how badly he wants to lead the Spurs to at least a showing in the playoffs. With a "wide-open free agency" on the horizon, this might be his last chance.