SAN ANTONIO – You don't need a lot of analytics or secret formulas to figure out the significance of Monday night's game for the San Antonio Spurs.
A win over the Sacramento Kings Monday night and the Spurs are in the post season for the 21st consecutive year.
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A loss and they still have a shot at the playoffs.
But as the team will tell you -- it's better to take care of business Monday.
"We know what's at stake," said guard Patty Mills. "We are not looking ahead at all. We know this is a big game for us to be in the playoffs, so that's what's at stake."
Center Pau Gasol agrees the game against the Kings is another "must-have" for the team.
"Tonight at home against Sacramento, must win. And then we go to New Orleans, and fight for a better seeding and better chance in the first round," Gasol said.
Getting a playoff spot with a win over the Kings, a team the Spurs have beaten all three previous meetings this seson, would be a great ending to what has been a very unusual season for the Spurs.
Fighting for a playoff spot this late in the season has been rare over 20 seasons for the team.
There is a lot of credit to go around for the team's season, including head coach Gregg Popovich, who has had to keep the team headed in the right direction with all the injuries and lineup changes, plus overcoming other obstacles.
"It's definitely been an incredble journey to be a part of this year, because it's been different than past years," Mills said.
"You can say that as a team we have overcome quite a bit," Gasol said.
One of the ways the Spurs have overcome some adversity is the leadership of veterans like Manu Ginobili.
At age 40, Ginobili still amazes, including carrying the team on his shoulders Saturday night when he scored 10 points -- including eight straight -- in the fourth quarter against Portland, to break the game open for the Spurs.
"It was interesting, because at halftime me and him were the last two in the locker room before coming out on the court," Mills said. "And I saw him sitting there and I didn't know if he was p***ed or tired because sometimes his p***ed looks tired and his tired looks p***ed.
"So I just asked him, 'Gramps are you juicy? Are you good to go?' And he kind of gave me that (moan) cause he was downplaying it, knowing, I think, that he had some extra juice in the tank and he came out in those last few minutes of that fourth quarter and just changed the whole game for us."
And that might have been one of those performances that actually changed the season for the Spurs.
Two more games will tell.