A greater emphasis on strength training has seemed to increase his shooting range. With opposing defenders forced to come out to deny his outside shot (he's shooting better than 40 percent on 3-pointers), or to go over screens set for him, Anderson's quickness has been devastating. He's second on the team in scoring at 15.7 points a game.

But when his shot deserted him last week -- he made 1 of 9 attempts at Golden State -- Anderson refused to panic, turning philosophical instead.

"The league is like life," Anderson said. "You're not going to have a perfect life. You go to work every day -- you try to prepare for work -- but everything is not going to be perfect. It's impossible.

"But we have wins. That's the bottom line. It's not like we had to lose to figure it out. We didn't need to lose to see what's wrong."

Personnel File

MOST OVERLOOKED FREE AGENT PICKUP: The Spurs might be completely overlooked in the postseason awards. But that is only because there is no award for most overlooked free agent addition. Danny Ferry might have that title locked up.

Ferry stepped into the starting lineup when Sean Elliott and Malik Rose went down with injuries and shot a stunning 63.2 percent from the 3-point line as a starter. Elliott, the Spurs' best perimeter defender, is back. But Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has decided to go with Ferry a bit longer.

Ferry's 3-point shooting of 47.2 percent for the season leads the league.

Noteworthy

TEAM TO BEAT? The Spurs had a chance to lock up the West's top seed with games against the Mavericks and Kings. More than that, the schedule offered a chance to reaffirm their position as the team to beat.

Dallas and Sacramento rank among the league's top four scoring teams. Beat the Mavericks and Kings, and the Spurs can strut their way into the postseason. With losses, the playoffs will have that wide-open feeling again.

MILES TO GO: In what must be considered a good sign, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been sounding cranky heading into the regular season's stretch run. The Spurs have not been playing poorly, but he has lamented a relative lack of sharpness and quickly jumped on it.

"I think we took a step backwards," Popovich said. "Over the last week our execution got sloppy. Our defense was a little bit more inconsistent. We didn't play Spurs basketball for as many of those 48 minutes as we had been before this trip.

"We can't afford to let that linger. I want us to understand that, while we're thrilled to have the three wins, we took a step back. We need to mentally toughen up for the rest of the regular season so we can be ready for the playoffs."

The Spurs looked tired on their West coast swing and had to know it would not take their best to beat the Clippers and Warriors. But Popovich has carefully monitored Sean Elliott's minutes as he cares for his tender left knee. Terry Porter's time was reduced with an eye on the postseason. Derek Anderson's shooting touch took a weekend off.

None can be considered worth too much concern. But while easing up on the game-time minutes and practice-day grind, Popovich allowed no letup in the Spurs' standards.

"We can't play as if we've arrived or if we've attained something," Popovich said. "Because, to date, we haven't attained any of the goals we set out. We're still on that journey. We're still on that path."

DON'T FORGET THE ADMIRAL: For more than a decade, David Robinson has been the elegant symbol of the Spurs, a giant in the community and the backbone of a franchise.

He saved the Spurs when they were dying, led them to the Alamodome, and after he and Tim Duncan carried them to the 1999 championship, recruited Duncan like a master just when it appeared the Spurs superstar was going to skate out of town via free agency in the summer of 2000.

But now he seems to have accomplished the unthinkable: He has become overlooked.

The Spurs have understandably become identified by Duncan's ascension toward the top echelon of NBA superstars. It has become fashionable to marvel at Derek Anderson's perfect fit in the Spurs backcourt, and opposing coaches cannot help but fret over the league-best 3-point shooting orbiting the inside threat of Duncan.

But Robinson remains a key to the Spurs' chances of making another title run, the stinging left to go with Duncan's hard right.

Robinson, not Duncan, takes on Shaquille O'Neal or would face the East's centers (Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning) in the Finals. Robinson punishes teams for placing too much attention on Duncan. He averages a healthy 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots.

Duncan is a wonder, but unquestionably his game is enhanced by Robinson's presence.

''The last two years, Timmy Duncan has gotten first-team all defense, but yet Robinson plays the toughest player on the frontline every night," said Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, whose team is in line for a first-round matchup with the Spurs. "I think David has been overlooked the last few years because of everything Timmy's done.''

The irony in Robinson's sudden, relative anonymity is that it might have ended last week when he did something he had not done all season. Robinson missed a game with tightness in his lower back. He reported improvement after several days of treatment, and could be back for the Spurs' run to the regular-season finish.

Robinson initially strained his back April 3 in Seattle. He came back to score 20 points in 30 minutes four days later. But when the back tightened, he skipped the second game of a California back-to-back.

"We missed his presence, his intimidation," Duncan said.

But any time Robinson's once-balky back squeezes back into the picture, there is cause for concern. He has become so steady, such a dependable force that he was easy to overlook -- until the day he wasn't there.

"He needs a little bit of time to work it out," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We needed to sit him out, so he wouldn't injure it worse before we get it straightened out. But I think he will be just fine."

QUOTEWORTHY: "This way is better because it keeps pressure on us to keep playing well. Some teams -- maybe a Philly or somebody -- might be able to rest guys because they're already up by seven or eight games. I want us to go into the playoffs playing. Just like two years ago, when it came down to the last trip where we had to win at Portland and Golden State (to get the West's top seed), let's do it that way. Let's do it." -- Spurs guard Avery Johnson.