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San Antonio Spurs fans appear to be split on whether they want to see the team take on the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves in round two of the NBA playoffs.
Much of the thinking seems to be based on which team the Spurs might have a better chance of defeating to advance to the Western Conference Final, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Texas Public Radio talked to fans in downtown San Antonio at the Spurs pop-up playoff shop in the 300 block of West Commerce on Wednesday, the day after the team eliminated the Portland Trailblazers from the playoffs with a win at the Frost Bank Center.
Alex Chandler Jr, of Austin, was in San Antonio to see that elimination game and hear all the cars honking as part of the celebration across downtown. He said he likes San Antonio's chances better against a banged-up Minnesota.
TPR caught up with him shopping for Spurs merch at the pop-up playoff shop.
"Absolutely not Denver. I hope they get Minnesota because Ant (Anthony Edwards) is hurt, (Donte) DiVincenzo is out for the rest of the year, probably all of next year, with his torn Achilles. So, I would hope we get Minnesota."
Spurs fan Gilbert De La Fuente and his wife, Maria, were flipping through Spurs shirts at the pop-up shop. Unlike Chandler, he would prefer to see Denver next in the playoffs.
"I would like to see Denver. ... They're down, but I wouldn't count them out," he said. The Nuggets trail the Timberwolves 3-2, with Game 6 of their playoff series on Thursday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Both De La Fuente and Chandler were glad to see the Spurs win big games, even without Victor Wembanyama. It boosts their confidence in the entire team winning throughout the playoffs, but Chandler said he did not think the team could win an NBA title without "Wemby."
