The Spurs Lost, But This Play Is Still The Most Beautiful Thing You’ll See Today

Can you imagine the feeling that overcomes Chrissy Teigen’s whole body before husband John Legend sings to her? The closest you may get to experiencing that on your own is by watching this play the Spurs pulled off during Monday evening’s game in Charlotte.

Yes, San Antonio lost 91-88, even after holding the Hornets to a mere seven points during the first quarter. But if you can pull off a play like this — six passes in seven seconds, ball movement so beautiful that even a Josh Hartnett movie about it couldn’t ruin it — maybe you should just get the win.

At this point, similarly to when “All of Me” goes on the radio, it should be socially acceptable to start tearing up whenever you watch the Spurs. It’s beauty personified. It’s as if God has decided to reveal himself (or Herself — Ed) to the world and figured (s)he’d use Texas’ second-biggest city to do it. The same could be said of some of the Warriors’ plays, but Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio squads are the originators of the one-pass-a-second plays that go viral almost as quickly as the team moves the ball around the perimeter.

A couple of questions remain, though.

How does the play against Charlotte compare to the most well-known of recent, viral Spurs plays: The Boris Diaw corner three against the Thunder during the 2014 Western Conference Finals?

And what’s more impressive in San Antonio: The ball movement or the player movement?

There doesn’t seem to be a right answer to either.

The Spurs have changed their style this year, going from a team that intensified spread pick-and-roll and perimeter slashing to one that plays through its bigs, or Kawhi Leonard in the post. San Antonio doesn’t take as many 3s as it did even two years ago. Now, it relies on the midrange shot far more. But the offense’s ability to play hot potato remains as alive as ever.

Now, set some of their plays to a John Legend ballad and try not to cry. I dare you.

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