spurred on to hope

Not very long ago, a Spurs-Lakers series was considered to be a clash of the titans.  However, with the banged-up Spurs stumbling into the playoffs on a three game losing streak, facing the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers, neither team is hardly at full strength. 

The Spurs should still be able to win the series, but I
fear it might take them six or seven games to do so. 

This may be Tim Duncan’s last chance to get another ring; but then, people have been saying that for the past three or four years!