Spurs fans can officially breathe their biggest sigh relief in years

The last time the Spurs made the postseason, COVID-19 had yet to grip our country, throwing it into the worst pandemic of our lifetime. It was 2019, and San Antonio was tasked with taking down the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic before he had fully evolved into the Joker we know and hate playing against today. They fell to Denver in seven games and haven't been back since. Until now.

The Phoenix Suns and the horrendous officiating didn't make it easy, but winning a hard-fought game that forced the Silver and Black to overcome adversity is appropriate for the playoff clincher. Minus a few new additions in the offseason, these players have been through a lot together. Their experiences have brought them together, strengthening their bond to rise in moments like these.

It was just the latest bit of proof that this team is mature and poised beyond the years of their young core. Those assets will do them well when they play their first ever postseason series as a unit.

The Spurs are checking all the boxes fans need to see

One of the things that throws young teams off in the playoffs is the physicality. Well, San Antonio has been dealing with that all season. Unless their opponents are about to start throwing punches, they'll continue to adapt. Tonight's win is just the latest example of their chameleon-like ability.

The threes weren't falling, and they were giving up too many offensive rebounds. The Suns did a great job of stopping them from getting out in transition, slowing the game down and making the Spurs execute. Unfortunately for them, they forgot that the Silver and Black have the better defense, and when they tightened the screws, Phoenix didn't have much of an answer.

Eventually, the earlier attempts San Antonio had been missing all game started to fall, and since the Devin Booker-led ball club could never truly extend their lead, the Spurs were in perfect position to steal that game the entire night. Don't let anyone tell you that the home team didn't deserve to win that game. That word is a fantasy. It might as well not even exist.

Nothing is given in sports, and everything is earned. You have to perform the entire 48 minutes. One team did. The other did not, even if their hopes to win came down to one supremely clutch shot from Victor Wembanyama in the last few seconds of the game.

The Spurs fought all the way until the end and never gave up. That's the stuff champions are made of. Showing that toughness right before the playoffs is fuel for a fan's fire. You never bend the knee. Never say die. It's not over 'til it's over. And when you have a generational force of nature on your team, you never say never.