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Spurs now own longest playoff streak in North America

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With the NHL's Detroit Red Wings' prestigious 25-year playoff streak coming to an abrupt end Tuesday, the San Antonio Spurs are the new model of consistency in American sports when it comes to postseason contention.

Clinching a berth in the 2016-17 playoffs means the Spurs will compete through April and May (at the very least) for the 20th season in a row, which is, by far, the strongest active streak of any team from the four major leagues (NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL).

The Pittsburgh Penguins take over as the postseason alphas in the NHL at 11 straight seasons. The NFL's New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers are tied for the lead with eight. And the Los Angeles Dodgers top the MLB with four.

Surprisingly enough, the Atlanta Hawks rank third overall with nine consecutive playoff trips, and are well on their way to making it an even 10.

During the Spurs' reign, they've captured five NBA championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014), and advanced as far as the Western Conference finals four other times, with a loss in the 2013 Finals to the Miami Heat.

San Antonio currently owns a 57-16 record, which places them 2.5 games back of the Golden State Warriors for the top seed in the West.

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