The Spurs hit their stride with the end in sight.

The Spurs are back. They have won 7 out of the last 8 games, with their only loss coming from a record-breaking performance by Kyrie Irving. It took him 57 points and a full rosary to trip the Spurs in their stride.

I felt bad for Minnesota in the next game because the Spurs needed a punching bag. Pop cleared the bench after taking a 40-point lead in the second half, holding the injury-laden Wolves to 13 points in the third quarter.  It was like watching a scarred boxer straddling a downed opponent, dripping sweat and staring as they struggle to stand up. 

While it seems like their 50-win season streak will remain intact, the true test is approaching. Next week, it’s going to be the Hawks, Mavs, Thunder, Mavs again and the Grizz. How the Spurs fare in this stretch could paint an accurate picture of how playoff ready they are. But as long as Tony Parker keeps flirting with 30-point performances, and Kawhi’s hands continue to give everyone nightmares, they should be fine.

Another thing going for the Spurs is the plethora of injuries in the West. Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, Jamal Crawford and Mike Conley could potentially miss upcoming bouts with San Anto. Manu is among those on the injured list (ankle, 7-10 days), but he has some time to recover while the spurs play 3 sub .500 teams before Atlanta on Sunday. Banger is also listed as day-to-day with a rib contusion.  

As usual, it’s going to be a scramble to the end of the regular season in the Western Conference, and the Spurs will be smack in the middle.

Here's a video of young Matt Bonner throwing it down.