by Sports Xchange

Updated: August 15, 2008, 4:40 AM EST

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The Spurs' 2008-09 schedule contains their usual midseason trek across America, the result of a rodeo taking up residency in the AT&T Center for a majority of the month of February.

The trip, which sandwiches the All-Star break, will begin on Feb. 2 and take the Spurs to Golden State, Denver, Boston, New Jersey, Toronto, New York, Detroit and Washington. The finale of the eight-game trek is on Feb. 21.

If you don't hear the Spurs complaining about the journey, it's because they've handled them well in the past.

Take two seasons ago, for example. The club went just 4-4 on the trip, but finished strong with a win at Detroit that provided the momentum for a 23-3 run down the stretch of the schedule and, eventually, to a fourth NBA championship.

Last year, after opening the trip with consecutive losses to the Jazz and SuperSonics, the Spurs rebounded to win six of the remaining seven road games, again using the trip finale (at Cleveland) as a catapult into good things. They won nine in a row immediately following the adventure, vaulting them up the Western Conference standings and, by regular season's end, within one win of the best record in the West.

If an eight-game road trip can be considered the lowlight of the schedule, here are two highlights: a season opener at home against perennial playoff rival Phoenix, and a regular-season finale -- also at home -- against last year's big surprise in the Southwest Division, the Hornets.