Express-News beat writer Jeff McDonald takes a look at the games, foes and faces to watch during the Spurs' month to come:
Save the date * Feb. 8 at Boston: Remember that long, long winning streak the Spurs once owned against the guys from Beantown? Gone. The Spurs are 0-2 against the Celtics since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen arrived - and, due to injuries to one or another last season, have yet to face Boston's entire Big Three.
Set the TiVo
* Feb. 27 vs. Cleveland: King James comes to town in all his glory, making his only scheduled stop at the AT&T Center this season. The Cavaliers have the second-best record in the East. If that keeps up - or even if it doesn't - this game ought to be worth watching.
Catch a movie instead
* Feb. 21 at Washington: Big day for Roger Mason Jr., who returns to his hometown for the first time with the Spurs. Not so much for fans of competitive Basketball. Unless you feel like rubbernecking the train wreck that has become the Wizards, this might be a good night to take in the remake of "Friday the 13th."
Let's go rodeoin'
For the seventh year in a row, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will go on without the Spurs. Temporarily evicted from their home court, the Spurs will play the first eight games of the month on the road. This year's trip sends them to eight cities in 19 days, covering 10,761 miles through the air. In six seasons, the Spurs are a combined 35-13 on their annual rodeo trek.
Spur of the month
* Roger Mason Jr.: Mason, who has a solid chance of joining the field for the NBA's 3-point shootout on All-Star Weekend, has developed into quite a scoring weapon for the Spurs. He is the only player in the league to rank in the top 10 in both 3-point percentage and makes. In short, when he gets hot, he's the type of player who can silence an opposing gym.
The crystal ball
This should prove to be a challenging month for the Spurs. After the rodeo trip ends, they close with a three-game homestand against Dallas, Portland and Cleveland - not exactly a collection of cupcakes. If they can survive the gauntlet at 7-4 - and we think they can - they should be well positioned to make a stretch run at a Southwest Division title.
