Spurs At Hornets Previews

[duncan228]

Gameday: Spurs vs. Hornets (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/spursworld/)
By Joe Alexander

The Spurs face a tough time trying to keep their season-best six-game win streak alive with a road back-to-back against two teams that have been hot lately. The Spurs take on the Hornets tonight in New Orleans and the Magic on Thursday in Orlando.

Game time note: Tonight's game tips off at 8:30 p.m. San Antonio time.

Tonight's game is the second game of a back-to-back for the Hornets. They beat the Grizzlies 91-84 in Memphis on Tuesday. The Grizzlies (9-16) actually led with less than five minutes left in the game. The Hornets (14-7) have won nine of their last 11 games.

With his first steal of the game Tuesday night, Hornets guard Chris Paul tied the NBA record for consecutive games with a steal. He matched the record of 105 by former Spur Alvin Robertson.

Tuesday's game was the second in a Hornets uniform for former Spur Antonio Daniels, who was traded to New Orleans last week. Daniels played nine minutes and had six points and two assists against the Grizzlies.

The Magic have won 10 of their last 12 games despite playing their last five games on the road.

Here's one look at what's up with the Hornets:

Robert Kleeman, Bleacher Report
As I watched the Hornets struggle in the second half Friday night against the team that eventually grabbed the 2008 title, it was difficult to ignore this thin roster's host of flaws.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/92560

[m33p0]

forget the magic and go all out on the hornets. :flag:

[Ghazi]

I'mc heering for the Spurs

[mfanatic]

Lets Go Spurs!!

[Yorae]

The Spurs should win this one, as a wedding gift for me. Too bad I can't cheer for them tommorow. Anyway, GO SPURS!!!!!

[Allanon]

Looking forward to tomorrow's games as well, super double-header.

Celtics @ Hawks
Spurs @ Hornets

I'll be at Hooters with some buds to watch this one.

Go Hawks, Go Spurs!

[duncan228]

The Spurs should win this one, as a wedding gift for me. Too bad I can't cheer for them tommorow. Anyway, GO SPURS!!!!!

Congrats on your wedding. :toast

[Reck]

Congrats on your wedding. :toast

I second that. :toast

This game will iether be a blowout or a really close game that will come down to the wire. Cant miss this one.

[Yorae]

Thanks guys!

[duncan228]

San Antonio (15-8) at New Orleans (14-7) Preview (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2008121703&prov=ap)
Game info: 9:30 pm EST Wed Dec 17, 2008
TV: ESPN
By Dan Pieringer

The New Orleans Hornets had their breakthrough season cut short by the San Antonio Spurs last spring.

Though both teams could have deep playoff runs ahead of them this season, neither looked ready for that kind of success recently.

The Hornets and Spurs look to bounce back from shaky performances in wins over last-place teams as the Southwest Division rivals square off for the first time since last season’s playoffs on Wednesday night in New Orleans.

After three straight trips to the lottery, New Orleans won a franchise-record 56 games last season and got their first playoff series win since 2002 by beating Dallas in the first round.

The Hornets’ stunning success ended when they lost a seven-game series against the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.

Both teams expect to be back in the postseason this spring, but that’ll likely take better performances than they put together in their last games.

San Antonio (15-8) nearly blew a 26-point lead in a tight 109-104 win over NBA-worst Oklahoma City on Sunday, and New Orleans (14-7) needed a late surge on Tuesday to pull out a 91-84 win over Memphis, the last-place team in the Southwest.

Spurs guard Tony Parker scored six straight points in the final minutes on Sunday to help San Antonio escape with its sixth straight win and 13th in 16 games after a 2-5 start.

“You never want to (have a big lead early in a game), because it’s always dangerous,” said Parker, who finished with 22 points and seven assists and went 9-for-18 from the field. “At the end it was kind of ugly, but we got the win and that’s the most important thing.”

That’s similar to what Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul said on Tuesday after scoring five points with three assists in the final five minutes to help New Orleans pull out its ninth win in 11 games.

The victory pulled the Hornets into a virtual tie with San Antonio and Houston atop the division.

“We feel like we’ve been through a lot of things, and we were able to pull it together in the fourth,” said Paul, who had 18 points, nine assists and five steals. Paul recorded a steal in his 105th straight contest, tying Alvin Robertson’s NBA record.

Now, Paul will try to claim sole possession of that mark against a San Antonio team he averaged 23.1 points, 10.4 assists and 2.3 steals against last season, including the playoffs. He also shot 51.5 percent from the field as New Orleans went 5-6 in those 11 overall games.

Despite Paul’s consistent success, the Spurs overcame an 0-2 deficit in the playoffs by winning four of the clubs’ last five games, including a series-clinching 91-82 road win on May 19.

San Antonio was 2-4 overall in New Orleans in 2007-08.

The Hornets are averaging 106.0 points and shooting 50.0 percent during their four-game home winning streak, during which they’ve outscored opponents by an average of 15.0 points.

The Spurs, meanwhile, have won six of seven on the road.

Notes

Spurs:

The Spurs were outscored, 60-47, in the second half on Sunday. ... G-F Michael Finley is just one game away from his 1,000th career game. ... C Fabricio Oberto, who has started 11 games this season and 64 in 2007-08, did not play. F-C Matt Bonner started in the middle for the seventh straight game and collected 17 points and eight boards. ... G Roger Mason had his biggest scoring output in nearly three weeks, finishing with 14 points and knocking down four 3-pointers.

Hornets:

C Tyson Chandler finished with seven points and six rebounds in 24:33 in his first game back after missing two with a stiff neck. ... With 18 points, F David West has reached double-digit points in 86 straight games (including the playoffs). ... Despite a clutch 3-pointer in the closing minutes, F Peja Stojakovic is struggling from the field. He's 7-of-26 with 21 combined points in his last three games after a going for 61 on 20-of-37 in the previous three. ... New Orleans has held eight of its last 11 opponents below 95 points. The Hornets are 9-2 in those games. ... Three-pointers continue to be a key stat to the Hornets' winning ways. The league's best 3-point shooting team hit 10-of-20 against

Team Stat Leaders

Points

Tony Parker SA 21.3
David West NO 20.4

Rebounds

Tim Duncan SA 10.8
Tyson Chandler NO 8.0

Assists

Tony Parker SA 6.6
Chris Paul NO 12.1

Standings

Team Standings W L Pct. GB L 10 Strk

San Antonio 2nd Southwest 14 8 .636 0 8-2 Won 5

New Orleans 2nd Southwest 13 7 .650 0.5 8-2 Won 1


Injuries

San Antonio

No injuries reported.

New Orleans

No injuries reported.

[duncan228]

Paul ties NBA consecutive game steals record (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AkVTN_IKOemC355Xca97ixqPvLYF?slug=ap-hornets-paulstealrecord&prov=ap&type=lgns)

MEMPHIS, Tenn.—New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul tied the NBA record for most consecutive games with a steal on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Paul’s theft came after a bad pass by Grizzlies forward Darko Milicic with 3:33 left in the first quarter. That gave Paul 105 straight games with a steal, pulling him even with Alvin Robertson’s mark set between November 1985 and December 1986.

“I’m a huge history buff, especially of the NBA,” Paul said after the Hornets’ 91-84 victory. “Any time you can be mentioned in the history books of the NBA, it’s a great accomplishment.”

The stat crew initially gave the steal to David West, but reviewed the play before changing it to Paul.

Paul had five steals and leads the league with 2.8 per game. He’ll have an opportunity to break the record Wednesday night at home when New Orleans faces the San Antonio Spurs, where Robertson played when he broke the record.

“It’s very fitting,” Paul said of playing the Spurs. “The crazy thing is, this is a crazy record. It might not happen again for a long time, but I’m honored to have the opportunity to break it.”

[Yorae]

Hmmm who will guard West? Duncan?

[mfanatic]

Bonner on West
Duncan on Chandler

[mfanatic]

I'd love to see Pop be a warrior and start Ian next to Duncan, how awesome would that be, and surprising

[Yorae]

Bonner on West? Goodluck Bonner!

[Cry Havoc]

Bonner on West? Goodluck Bonner!

Really his ability to defend West depends on how the whistles go. West depends mostly on his mid-range jumper for points... Matt has the length to contest that. If he posts up, well, Matt's better in the block than he is out of the paint on defense, or at least he seems a bit more comfortable. He can DEFINITELY box out West, and that could be a huge help to containing the Hornets.

If the whistles are flying though... hey.... why not try Hill on West? It sounds crazy at first, but GH has the hops to get up, and if West posts, he'll have help. A 6'9 armspan could really throw a monkey wrench into the way West plays. And Hill is VERY strong for his size. Maybe a couple of trips up the court with Hill on him (and West thinking "WTF!?) in the process will be enough to trip him up and offset his rhythm.

Really, West was the only thing that kept the Hornets in the series last year. If we can slow him down, we match up very well with them. Chris Paul might be a steal-guru, but he still isn't a great defensive player. And our D is more than good enough to cut down on some of his passes in the lane.

[Yorae]

Go Bonner! I seriously mean that good luck. Coz based on last POs, West is a nightmare to defend..

[raspsa]

The Spurs should win this one, as a wedding gift for me. Too bad I can't cheer for them tommorow. Anyway, GO SPURS!!!!!

Congratulations. I hope your wedding doesn't conflict with the game; be a shame to have to keep the guests waiting..:toast

[Rogue]

http://www.badpussy.org/uploads/sigs/current/spurstalksig.jpg
What a great rapper and a great painter.:lmao
I'm gonna switch my dog's name from Tommy to Kobe, as he always digs his head into the bucket to enjoy the smell there.
Shaq hadn't bought any paper during the time he played in LA, b/c Kobe's tongue can do the work so Shaq didn't need to use pape cleaning his bottom.

[Fermixalot]

Congrats on the wedding Yorae. Hope the celebration is everything you planned it to be and more.

Hill on West doesn't sound like a likely idea but it would be really interesting to see. Though most likely West would try to bully Hill around using his weight advantage, but I could see Hill not backing down and giving West some fits ala Dirk vs Warriors.

This is gonna be a good one, I can't wait. Hope we have enough energy for the Magic though.

[mrspurs]

For me this was the team that pissed me off the most. How we could go into NO and get whipped by double digits. Then come home and whip them by double digits made me crazy. If I remember correctly the only game that wasnt a blowout was game 7. They will be looking for payback. And Im finally happy to see us play a tough team. Kinda tired of beating sorry teams already. Its time to see what we're made of. I also believe Kurt will shine this game. These are the games Kurt has a good chance of playing solid D against Dwest. I dont see Matt doing much to guard Dwest, but that doesnt mean Matt wont get his points as well, because they will double Timmy like always. Will be nice to see Antonio Daniels take on his old friend Roger Mason.

[024]

as i recall, no one on the spurs was capable of slowing down west. he's very mobile and has a very good fade away jumper. kind of like dirk. spurs really need to find someone to slow down people like that. bowen may be able to guard dirk but west can play strong inside as well.

[m33p0]

somebody put up the GAME THREAD already. let' get this party started!

[Yorae]

Thanks guys, hope I can join when we play the Magic!

[gingerwave]

The Hornets haven't been playing that well. Let's go Spurs. :flag:

[sonic21]

The Spurs should win this one, as a wedding gift for me. Too bad I can't cheer for them tommorow. Anyway, GO SPURS!!!!!

congrats!!

[BRHornet45]

sons welcome back to New Orleans .... I'll be at the game tonight watching Paul break the steals record :)

[sonic21]

sons welcome back to New Orleans .... I'll be at the game tonight watching Paul break the steals record :)

nice sig :toast

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Wed. Dec. 17
San Antonio @ New Orleans: J. DeRosa, J. Capers, J. Goble

[nkdlunch]

here we go again. CP3 and DWest once again pouting like pre-schoolers on national TV

[SenorSpur]

Paul ties NBA consecutive game steals record (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AkVTN_IKOemC355Xca97ixqPvLYF?slug=ap-hornets-paulstealrecord&prov=ap&type=lgns)

MEMPHIS, Tenn.—New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul tied the NBA record for most consecutive games with a steal on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Paul’s theft came after a bad pass by Grizzlies forward Darko Milicic with 3:33 left in the first quarter. That gave Paul 105 straight games with a steal, pulling him even with Alvin Robertson’s mark set between November 1985 and December 1986.
“I’m a huge history buff, especially of the NBA,” Paul said after the Hornets’ 91-84 victory. “Any time you can be mentioned in the history books of the NBA, it’s a great accomplishment.”

The stat crew initially gave the steal to David West, but reviewed the play before changing it to Paul.

Paul had five steals and leads the league with 2.8 per game. He’ll have an opportunity to break the record Wednesday night at home when New Orleans faces the San Antonio Spurs, where Robertson played when he broke the record.

“It’s very fitting,” Paul said of playing the Spurs. “The crazy thing is, this is a crazy record. It might not happen again for a long time, but I’m honored to have the opportunity to break it.”

Alvin Robertson is a supremely underrated, and barely remembered, former NBA player and Spur. However he was, quite frankly, one of the best defensive players (and all around guards) the NBA has ever seen. The mere mention of the fact that he STILL holds this record should indicate what a fabulous player he really was. He's still one of only four players to record the unthinkable, quadruple-double:

The NBA officially recognizes four quadruple-doubles:

Nate Thurmond, October 18, 1974, Chicago vs. Atlanta; 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks. (OT)[1]
Alvin Robertson, February 18, 1986, San Antonio vs. Phoenix; 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals.[2]
Hakeem Olajuwon, March 29, 1990, Houston vs. Milwaukee; 18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks.[3]
David Robinson, February 17, 1994, San Antonio vs. Detroit; 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks.[4]

Had he not run afoul with legal issues, toward the end of his career, his number would and should be hanging from the rafters of the AT&T Center.

As for Paul's attempt to break the record, the Spurs are a low-turnover team. There's no way Paul breaks the record of a former Spur, against the Spurs.

[duncan228]

Wednesday: Spurs (15-8) at Hornets (14-7) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Wednesday_Spurs_15-8_at_Hornets_14-7.html)
Express-News

Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV: KMYS, ESPN
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - HORNETS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 3 Chris Paul (6-0, 4th yr)
Paul can break Alvin Robertson's record with a steal in 106 straight games.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 45 Rasual Butler (6-7, 7th yr)
Butler appears to have wrestled starting job away from Morris Peterson.

SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 16 Peja Stojakovic (6-10, 11th yr)
Outdoing Duncan, Finley is set to play in his 1,000th regular-season game.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 30 David West (6-9, 6th yr)
Duncan riding a string of seven consecutive double-doubles.

C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 6 Tyson Chandler (7-1, 8th yr)
Spurs' goal: Keep Chandler away from the rim.

SPURS RESERVES

12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
7 Fabricio Oberto, C/F, 6-10, 4th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
11 Jacque Vaughn, G, 6-1, 12th yr

HORNETS RESERVES

12 Hilton Armstrong, C/F, 6-11, 3rd yr
23 Devin Brown, G/F, 6-5, 7th yr
33 Melvin Ely, F, 6-10, 7th yr
50 Antonio Daniels, G, 6-4, 12th yr
9 Morris Peterson, F/G, 6-7, 9th yr
41 James Posey, F, 6-8, 9th yr
32 Julian Wright, F, 6-8, 2nd yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Hornets: Byron Scott

INJURIES

Spurs: Ian Mahinmi (left ankle sprain) is out.

Hornets: Morris Peterson (right knee pain) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Anthony Tolliver, Mahinmi.

Hornets: Sean Marks, Ryan Bowen.

NOTABLE

Spurs riding a season-high six-game winning streak heading into rematch of last year's Western Conference semifinal, which the Spurs won in seven games. ... New Orleans roster boasts four former Spurs (Brown, Ely, Daniels and Marks).

- Jeff McDonald

[BRHornet45]

Alvin Robertson is a supremely underrated, and barely remembered, former NBA player and Spur. However he was, quite frankly, one of the best defensive players (and all around guards) the NBA has ever seen. The mere mention of the fact that he STILL holds this record should indicate what a fabulous player he really was. He's still one of only four players to record the unthinkable, quadruple-double:

The NBA officially recognizes four quadruple-doubles:

Nate Thurmond, October 18, 1974, Chicago vs. Atlanta; 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks. (OT)[1]
Alvin Robertson, February 18, 1986, San Antonio vs. Phoenix; 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals.[2]
Hakeem Olajuwon, March 29, 1990, Houston vs. Milwaukee; 18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks.[3]
David Robinson, February 17, 1994, San Antonio vs. Detroit; 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks.[4]

Had he not run afoul with legal issues, toward the end of his career, his number would and should be hanging from the rafters of the AT&T Center.

As for Paul's attempt to break the record, the Spurs are a low-turnover team. There's no way Paul breaks the record of a former Spur, against the Spurs.

son hes done it in the last 105 straight games including 5 or 6 times against your Spurs .... it will happen tonight. god bless

[duncan228]

Spurs roll into New Orleans (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/scores/live/pv10591.htm)

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp%20duncan/lead12.jpg
San Antonio is 7-3 away from the Alamo City this season.

San Antonio Spurs (15-8) at New Orleans Hornets (14-7), 9:30 p.m.

(Sports Network) - The streaking San Antonio Spurs kick off a short two-game road swing Wednesday when they arrive in the Big Easy to face the New Orleans Hornets.

It's the first time the two Southwest Division rivals will be squaring off since last season's playoffs. The Hornets won a franchise-record 56 games last season and took their first playoff series since 2002 by beating Dallas in the first round. But, San Antonio then topped New Orleans in seven games during the Western Conference semifinals.

The Spurs won their sixth straight contest last Sunday when Manu Ginobili finished with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds and came through with the clinching three-point play down the stretch as San Antonio withstood a furious Thunder comeback to escape with a 109-104 victory in the Alamo City.

Tim Duncan logged 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, while Tony Parker dropped 22 points and seven helpers in San Antonio's season-high sixth straight win. Matt Bonner and Roger Mason added 17 and 14 points, respectively, in the victory.

San Antonio, which is 7-3 away from the Alamo City, will also face Orlando on Thursday during its short trek.

The Hornets, meanwhile, will be embarking on a three-game homestand after winning for the fifth time in six games in Memphis on Tuesday when Chris Paul had 18 points and nine assists to lead New Orleans to a 91-84 win that snapped the Grizzlies' season-high four-game winning streak.

Paul also logged five steals and matched the NBA record for consecutive games with at least one swipe. San Antonio's Alvin Robertson set the mark at 105 games between November 1985 and December 1986.

David West also scored 18 while James Posey chipped in 15 off the bench for New Orleans, which closed out a three-game road trip 2-1.

The Hornets, who are 7-3 in the Big Easy, will also face Sacramento and the LA Lakers on their residency.

The teams spilt a four-game season series last season but San Antonio has won nine of 11 and 13 of its last 16 overall against New Orleans.

[hater]

this is a HUGE game tonight. It pretty much could decide who gets Home Court positioning in the playoffs. HUGE

NO will play their asses off. It will be very tough for spurs to win this. they will have to apply Spurs Defense

[duncan228]

Rival Report: Spurs blogger David Thiessen (http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/Rival_Report_Spurs_Blogger_Da-293563-2057.html)
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com

Throughout the 2008-09 regular season, Hornets.com will be interviewing writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at the New Orleans Arena.

With the Hornets hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday (8:30 p.m.), we caught up with Spurs blogger David Thiessen.

Hornets.com: The last time the Hornets saw the Spurs, San Antonio was celebrating on New Orleans’ home floor, having won Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. For Hornets fans who have not watched many Spurs games early this season, what are some of the major differences between the ’07-08 team and the current one?

Thiessen: The Spurs are a model of consistency. Rarely do they make major changes from one season to the next, and for good reason. This year is no exception. This year’s Spurs team closely resembles last year’s with some small changes. Roger Mason and George Hill have added backcourt depth and both can score better than last year’s role players. However, this team still revolves around the Big Three and the identity and look of it is the same. Expect a focus on defense, a slower-paced game, some helter-skelter plays by Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan quietly controlling the game.

Hornets.com: Spurs standout guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each missed time in the early part of the schedule, but have returned to health. How have Parker and Ginobili performed since moving back into the lineup?

Thiessen: There was a short transition period when the team adjusted to having both Parker and Ginobili in the lineup, but the Spurs are starting to jell. Ginobili is playing as well as ever and looks like he never took three months off. He has shot well and continues to do all the little things right. Parker has been a little more up and down since returning. The ankle injury doesn’t seem to be bothering him, but he has had a few poor outings with bad shooting or high turnovers since returning. I think that’s just part of adjusting to playing with Mason and Hill more.

Hornets.com: Although some observers expected San Antonio to falter without Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs managed to remain a very good team. How much of this was simply due to the presence of Tim Duncan?

Thiessen: Mason deserves credit for filling in at both guard positions better than anybody expected. I doubt anybody, probably Popovich included, thought Mason would shoot so well from deep. Hill also deserves credit for the way he played in Parker’s absence. However, this team lives and dies with Duncan. Mason and Hill played the way they did because Duncan was there to help them. He was constantly instructing Hill on how to run the Spurs and allowed him to feel more comfortable. Duncan can still carry the load when needed, but it’s his ability to bring the team together and help players perform at their best that shined in the absence of Parker and Ginobili.

The Spurs’ free-agent signing of guard Roger Mason didn’t generate much publicity, but the move has paid off in a big way early in the regular season.
Hornets.com: The Spurs did not make many significant additions on paper during the offseason, but the one key pickup was that of guard Roger Mason. How valuable has he been in the early going?

Thiessen: Mason has been a huge addition. Perhaps the Spurs’ biggest weakness last year was the lack of a fourth scoring option for when one of the Big Three is having an off night. They almost had to play well every night because nobody else could be relied upon consistently to score. Popovich gave Mason the green light to shoot and he sped through it. He showed confidence taking – and hitting – big shots. Also, Mason can play both guard positions, which allows the Spurs to try many different backcourt combinations. Once again the Spurs found a gem that others overlooked.

Hornets.com: Spurs rookie George Hill had an extremely forgettable time in Las Vegas when we saw him during summer league, going 2-for-25 from the field. Yet he’s been cited by many as a big plus for the Spurs since the regular season tipped off. How do the Spurs account for his improvement?

Thiessen: Parker’s injury was a blessing in disguise for the Spurs, allowing Hill to play without the fear of sitting the bench. Jacque Vaughn has worked hard for the Spurs, but he was not capable of leading this team without Ginobili around, leaving the job for Hill. Popovich is notorious for being tough on young players and rookies, but he threw Hill out there and let him play. Hill stopped thinking so much and relaxed. Once he had a good game or two, the confidence started building. Like Mason, Hill gives the Spurs options in the backcourt because he can slide over to shooting guard at times. With a 6-9 wingspan, he is a defensive menace and draws plenty of fouls. He still has much to learn, like how to stay out of foul trouble, but he has been a pleasant surprise for the Spurs.

Hornets.com: What might we be surprised to know about the Spurs?

Thiessen: There really isn’t much about this team that could count as a surprise. This goes back to them preaching and living consistency. The only minor surprise is that the defense has been subpar compared to Spurs standards. They are 10th in the league in defensive efficiency, a category they normally lead or are near the top of. A major reason for this is the injuries early in the year, which forced players that don’t play often to play more minutes. They just looked out of sync at times, allowing easy baskets and the transition defense suffered. Now that Parker and Ginobili are back, the defense has looked better because players are back in their normal roles. Like I said, there’s not much surprise when it comes to this team.

[phyzik]

CP3 will break the record tonight in steals but the Spurs will still win.

[JP le Requin]

today is my birthday so ....SPURS WILL WIN!!

[duncan228]

New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul hopes to set steals record but Coach Byron Scott concerned about San Antonio Spurs (http://blog.nola.com/hornetsbeat/2008/12/new_orleans_hornets_guard_chri.html)
Posted by John Reid

Though most of the attention surrounding tonight's game at the New Orleans Arena is whether New Orleans Hornets' point guard Chris Paul will set the NBA record with 106 consecutive games with at least one steal.

The Hornets play the San Antonio Spurs for the first time since their Game 7 elimination in the second round of the playoffs last season. Tip-off is 8:30 p.m. because ESPN is televising.

"It's a regular game but of course everybody is going to hype it up,'' said Paul, who can surpass former Spurs guard Alvin Robertson's NBA record tonight. "It's a big game for us.''

With guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili returning from early-season injuries, the Spurs (15-8) have won six straight after a 2-5 start .The Hornets (14-7) lead the Spurs by percentage points in the tightly contested Southwest Division race.

"Right now they are back to being healthy and they are playing well,'' Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. "I think they like the fact everybody has kind of disregarded them as a contender, but I think after the Lakers they are still the team to beat. We've got to ''

Scott put his team through a shootaround practice Wednesday morning although they played at Memphis Tuesday night and did not return to New Orleans until 12:30 a.m.

"We know this team pretty well, but we haven't played them in awhile,'' Scott said. "So we just wanted to give the guys a refresher course in what they are all about, then watch some tape before getting some rest this afternoon.''

[duncan228]

Jeff McDonald: Peja won't play (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2008/12/jeff-mcdonald-p-27.html)

NEW ORLEANS -- Late-breaking lineup news from New Orleans Arena. Hornets coach Byron Scott was in the midst of his pregame meeting with the media when a team staffer poked his head in with the news: Peja Stojakovic is suffering from back spasms and will not play tonight.

Certainly, this hurts the Hornets. In a game in which the two teams are so evenly matched -- last season's playoff series went to Game 7 -- both teams would like to take the floor with every available weapon.

New Orleans leads the NBA in 3-point percentage (41.2 percent), and Stojakovic is a big part of that. He shoots 43.1 percent from long range.

The Spurs, incidentally, rank second in the league in 3-point accuracy at 39.7 percent.