Spurs-Hornets Series Is Poetry in Motion

The clock on my computer reads 8:29.

One minute until everything said on Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, and SportsCenter doesn’t matter anymore.

One minute until two teams hungry for a Western Conference Finals berth step onto the court in New Orleans, ready to leave all their blood, sweat, and tears on the hardwood.

I can’t help but think to myself, isn’t this what sports are all about?

The perennial championship contender versus the up-and-coming young squad that nobody really gave a chance. Sounds like the perfect game to me.

The guy who has been NBA Finals MVP three times and has hoisted the championship trophy four times, versus the electrifying young superstar who has been the best player in the playoffs thus far.

No matter what happens Monday night, fans should realize the beauty of what is going on before them. Treated to an absolute gem of a game just one night before in Boston, and now this? NBA supporters truly can’t ask for much more.

When Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs square off against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, there is much more than a basketball game taking place.

An artistic portrayal of life’s greatest struggle: in order to be the best, you must beat the best.

A potentially symbolic “passing of the torch,” from the perpetual Western Conference contender to a team that has never made it to the Western Conference Finals in the history of its franchise.

No matter what team you support, Monday night’s matchup is a thing of beauty.

It’s why you, as a fan, endure all of the losing seasons, the "What the?!" trades and signings, the ups and downs of your franchise. It’s why people care—it’s why sports are such a pivotal part of society.

It has been said that basketball is “poetry in motion.” The Spurs-Hornets series is like an Edgar Allan Poe classic. Back and forth, up and down, the series swings to and fro. Yet something positive, something for the good of everyone involved, will occur no matter the outcome.

If the Spurs win, we can still reflect on the Hornets' incredible season. Coming out of nowhere behind an up-and-coming superstar to finish second in an incredibly difficult Western Conference was an amazing feat.

If the Hornets win, the Spurs’ 11th straight playoff appearance ends unhappily, but a third place finish in the Western Conference is nothing to hang their heads about.

It’s now 8:49. Time to go watch what sounds like the perfect game to me.