Willis Reed's legacy is still secure. So, too, is the top status of Michael Jordan among flu-stricken playoff performers. And as for Sean Elliott, nothing that happened Monday at EnergySolutions Arena will ever overshadow his biggest moment.

The only miracle this Memorial Day?

It's that after all this time, this formula still works.

The Spurs get a bad rap most of the time for being boring, but on Monday they earned every bit of the label. On a night when Deron Williams' stomach virus had him in position to become a 21st-century version of Reed and Jordan all rolled into one, and in a postseason when the NBA is desperate for any semblance of drama to retain what's left of a dwindling audience, the Spurs took a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals by trapping, funneling ball-handlers into the teeth of the defense, getting to the free-throw line and allowing their opponent to self-destruct.

There was no game-winning play, no signature moment destined to forever be frozen in time (unless you count the repeated shots of Manu Ginobili hitting the deck). The Spurs simply wore Utah down, mundane moment by mundane moment.

"No matter what happened," Bruce Bowen said, "we were just trying to keep plugging away."

It's the attitude of a patient, experienced team, and it was the biggest difference in the fourth quarter. While the Jazz forced bad shots and tried to win the game on every possession, the Spurs were content to keep getting to the foul line, where they scored 19 of their 28 fourth-quarter points. Only once in the final six minutes did the Spurs score a field goal, but they didn't even need that one.

While an outraged Jerry Sloan earned an ejection, a frustrated Derek Fisher made his own early exit and a furious crowd voiced its displeasure (apparently, Utah Mormons can do the "Javie Sucks" chant just as well as South Texas Catholics), the Spurs calmly picked up the pieces.

"They kept their heads," Williams said. "We were the ones getting the (technical fouls), not them. And that's why they prevailed."

The Jazz certainly can't blame Williams for their downfall. Just as he has been all series, he was brilliant, scoring 27 points, handing out 10 assists, and continuing to prove that maybe Bowen didn't have as big of a gripe about his defensive player of the year snub as we once thought he did.

In the battle of marquee names, Williams once again beat Tim Duncan, who suffered through another rough night with five turnovers and only 19 points.

But Duncan persevered, just as his teammates did. Even after being humbled by what might have been the blocked shot of the postseason by Carlos Boozer, Duncan bounced back to make five of his last six foul shots, and some would say that was enough of a Memorial Day Miracle in itself.

It didn't do much for ESPN's ratings, and it probably will never find a home in the lore of great postseason moments. That's why the biggest news in the NBA these days is the soap opera in Los Angeles. After all, who needs to watch Fabricio Oberto make backdoor layups and tip out offensive rebounds when you can spend that time listening to Kobe Bryant take another step toward becoming general manager?

To upstage the Lakers, the Spurs and Jazz would have needed Reed, or Jordan, or even Elliott.

These guys? They don't do those kinds of miracles.

---

Mike Finger is a sports columnist for the San Antonio Express-News