San Antonio Spurs NBA Cheerleader Girls

The Spurs faced Phoenix in the first round in a rematch of the previous year's controversial semifinal series. The Spurs rode the momentum of a thrilling Game 1 win (thanks in part to a rare, extra-clutch OT 3-pointer by Tim Duncan) to defeat the Suns in five games. The Spurs second round opponent would prove to be more than a handful as the veteran Spurs faced Chris Paul the up-and-coming New Orleans Hornets. The Spurs and the Hornets would battle for seven hard fought games (with New Orleans earning the upper hand throughout much of the series), but the Spurs scrapped together a game 7 win on the road (marking their first ever game 7 win on the road and series win after being down 0–2) to advance to the Western Conference Finals against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, where their run would come to an end after five games.
+ 2008–09: A down season
The Spurs began the 2008–09 season with three consecutive losses, their worst start to a season since 1973. Manu Ginóbili played in only 44 games as he continued to struggle with a right ankle injury. As a result, the Spurs were forced to depend on Tony Parker and Tim Duncan to carry the load; Parker responded by posting career-high averages in points and assists per game. The Spurs finished with a 54–28 record and third place in the West, they also claim the division title in the Southwest Division but, with Ginóbili out for the playoffs, were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in their first round series, four games to one. The loss represented the Spurs' first defeat in the first round of the playoffs since the 1999–2000 season, and the first with Tim Duncan in the line-up.