Johnson: Season has been gratifying

Some may view the trials and tribulations of this season as taxing. Avery Johnson isn’t one of those guys. This season hasn’t been easy by any stretch, but that may be the reason it’s special.

“This season has been just as gratifying, this regular season, as some of the others because the Western Conference has been one of the most diverse,” Johnson said. “The parity has been greater than I’ve ever seen it. The intensity to win in the last month of the season has been as great as I’ve seen it, the last six weeks really.

“This 50, hopefully 51 wins, has been gratifying in a lot of ways because we’ve been through a lot this year and we still made it in and have a shot once the playoffs start to win a championship like the other eight teams in the West.”