When the San Antonio Spurs hit the court tonight against the New Orleans Hornets, they’ll have some extra help on their side. No, the team—who’s down 3-2 in the best of seven series—didn’t hire someone to kneecap Chris Paul. But the people of San Antonio have been looking to a higher power to help Tim Duncan Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli get to the next round. Yes, the team’s fans have been been praying and lighting candles to the Alimighty because Brent Barry and Damon Stoudamire just haven’t been cutting it.

“Faith can do anything basically, and that’s what people put into these candles,” Papa Jim’s Botanica employee Yuliana Gomez said. At Papa Jim’s Botanica, prayer candles are sold to help you lose weight, to stop your man from fooling around, to get money, and even you help the Spurs win. Staff says they work.

“Yesterday, we didn’t turn on our candles, and we feel guilty for that,” Gomez said.The candles are so popular, there was only one left by the time the shop closed on Wednesday.

“They’re buying the oil, the candles, the incense; they just want everything to help out the Spurs,” Gomez said. [Spurs-rooting family] Davilas don’t have the candle, but they are asking God to keep his eye on the Spurs.

“They can they shoot the ball good, get some blocks,” Pedro Davila said.

If we may suggest something from our past, we’d go with what our mom lit for our sucky high school baseball team—a candle to St. Jude. You know, the Saint of lost causes.

Spurs fans seek divine intervention [MySA.com]
Image [abcnews.com]