Like a case of herpes, the San Antonio Spurs just won’t go away.

Somehow, it seemed like this just might be the season that hoops fans would be spared from watching this whiny, duller than a bowling ball, group of cheap shot artists play deep into the playoffs. After all, the upstart N’awlins Hornets spanked them in the first two games of their Western Conference series, as the Spurs seemed to have no answer for Chris Paul and David West and Tyson Chandler were holding it down inside.

Unfortunately, youth was not served and San Antonio fought back to knot the series before winning game seven 91-82 to advance to face Kobe & Co. in the Western Conference Finals.

What this means is that any hope for having an NBA Finals that is remotely entertaining rests on Kobe’s shoulders and the Lakers triangle offense. Boston’s been wretched in the playoffs and could barely beat a one-man team. Detroit’s, well, still around. And San Antonio has long overstayed welcome on the NBA’s biggest stage.

As an avowed Kobe-hater and Phil Jackson detractor, I take no pleasure in singling Los Angeles out as our last best hope this season. I take even less pleasure in having to cheer for them against San Antonio.

Cheer I will, though, since the thought of a Boston-San Antonio or Detroit-San Antonio NBA Finals is, at best, grim, and at worst, bloodcurdling.