A few of their fiercest competitors have blocked the Spurs' quest to the top of the conference. One of which is their in-state rival, the Houston Rockets. For the first two months of the season, the Rockets ranked among the top three in the conference and halted the Spurs' upward movement. But not for long.
As several teams lie neck and neck at the top of the conference, every win matters. That makes the Rockets' most recent losses all the more damning. Over the past week, Houston has lost to both the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans.