Spurs vs. Hornets Previews

[Blackjack]

Preview: San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Hornets (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2010/01/17/preview-san-antonio-spurs-new-orleans-hornets/)
by Jesse Blanchard

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/0519/nba_a_paul_parker_580.jpg

A year ago this game would have headlined the daily marquee as a matchup between arguably the league’s top two point guards (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/whos-better-chris-paul-or-tony-parker/). A week ago Hoopsworld.com reported the Spurs tried to trade Tony Parker for Chris Paul (http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14943). But tomorrow, despite those tidbits of information, the matchup has lost some of its luster.

I say arguably the league’s top two point guards because while Paul has cemented his status as the best point guard on the planet for some time now, it was only last year that Parker made his claim as an elite player (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/04/23/is-tony-parker-the-man/). Unfortunately for the Spurs, Parker has struggled the past two games–as he has all season–with plantar fasciitis (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2010/01/13/the-new-realities-of-tony-parker/).

The Spurs are struggling heading into this game, having lost the last two games on the road to Charlotte and Memphis. The offense is floundering, scoring 76 and 86 points in those games with the Spurs backcourt of Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker combining to shoot 13-36 (36%).

Known for their slashing, the duo only managed to hit five shots in the paint, only one of which came from Ginobili. This is probably a good indicator that the previously surging Spurs were simply feeling the effects of a busy work week (five games in seven nights).

What does that mean for this game? Even with a day off, the early start (2:30 CST) leaves little turnaround and you have to wonder how much they’ll have in the tank.

New Orleans comes in playing some of their basketball of the season, winning eight of the past 10. With offseason acquisition Emeka Okafor having earned a permanent spot in the crunch time rotation (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/01/emeka_okafor_picks_up_play_has.html), the Hornets turnaround, as USA Today noted (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/hornets/2010-01-14-hornets-emitting-new-buzz_N.htm), has been on defense, allowing only two opponents to top 100 points this month (a win over Washington and an overtime loss to Detroit).


“We’re trying to settle in to who we are, developing an identity on how we want to play,” says forward David West (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Athletes/NBA/David+West), second on the team in scoring (17.4 points) and rebounding (7.5). “We’re a pretty good defensive team when we decide to sit down and play D to help us generate the offense.

For all the talk of the Spurs predicating their success on defense, it’s the offense that’s going to have to begin pulling its own weight again. As always, the matchup with David West merits special attention with Blair and Jefferson likely getting the bulk of the minutes. West has historically given us problems and it will be up to those two to limit him and Jefferson to to attack him when the Spurs go small.

Look for Manu Ginobili to get going against the likes of Devin Brown, Marcus Thorton, Peja Stojakovic and even James Posey. Should he falter, the Spurs could again leave Duncan with too little help.

[timtonymanu]

Hornets 15-3 at home.
Spurs are really tired.
Afternoon game.

Not looking forward to this.

[duncan228]

The early start can be trouble with Duncan. Hope he's awake for this one.

[Chieflion]

I have to wake up 4.30 am for this. Hope the Spurs don't disappont me, otherwise I will fall asleep in front of the computer.

[Ghazi]

Go Spurs

[Allanon]

It's easy to say the Hornets have sucked this year. But even with all their sucking, they're only 3 losses behind the Spurs.

Playoffs are starting real early this year in the SouthWest division.

[TD 21]

This one will feature plenty of small ball. The Hornets play only three bigs, ranging from 6'8''-6'10'' and have, save for maybe the Timber Wolves, arguably the worst collection of wings in the entire league. I'm not sure if McDyess is playing (he'd be a big help as the primary West defender), but if he's not expect to see, like the article says, plenty of Blair (he'll probably be in foul trouble within' five minutes) and Jefferson on West. We'll likely be looking at another game where the Spurs play two bigs, extend Duncan's minutes and rely far too heavily on him. In other words, we'll be watching a microcosm of the Spurs season in this game.

[duncan228]

Monday: Spurs (24-15) at Hornets (21-18) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Monday_Spurs_24-15_at_Hornets_21-18.html)

Time: 2:30 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - HORNETS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 9th yr) - 3 Chris Paul (6-0, 5th yr)
Hornets are 14-7 since Paul’s return from an ankle sprain.

SG - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 23 Devin Brown (6-5, 8th yr)
Ex-Spur Brown enjoying a resurgence in his second season with Hornets.

SF - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 9th yr) - 16 Peja Stojakovic (6-10, 12th yr)
Jefferson (0 for 6) is coming off his first basket-less game since 2006.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 30 David West (6-9, 7th yr)
Duncan’s powers of persuasion got him into the game vs. Memphis.

C - 45 DeJuan Blair (6-7, 1st yr) - 50 Emeka Okafor (6-10, 6th yr)
Iron-man Okafor has played in 214 consecutive games.

SPURS RESERVES

20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 8th yr
22 Marcus Haislip, F, 6-10, 4th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 2nd yr
28 Ian Mahinmi, C/F, 6-11, 3rd yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 6th yr
34 Antonio McDyess, F, 6-10, 14th yr
42 Theo Ratliff, C, 6-10, 15th yr

HORNETS RESERVES

6 Bobby Brown, G, 6-2, 2nd yr
2 Darren Collison, G, 6-0, 1st yr
24 Morris Peterson, G, 6-7, 10th yr
41 James Posey, F, 6-8, 11th yr
9 Darius Songaila, F, 6-9, 7th yr
5 Marcus Thornton, G, 6-4, 1st yr
32 Julian Wright, F, 6-9, 3rd yr

COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Hornets: Jeff Bower

INJURIES

Spurs: Michael Finley (sprained left ankle) and Matt Bonner (fractured right hand) are out. McDyess (pinched nerve in neck) is day-to-day.
Hornets: Ike Diogu (strained left knee) and Sean Marks (strained lower left leg) are out. Peterson (back spasms) is questionable.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Malik Hairston, Bonner, Finley.
Hornets: Marks, Diogu.

NOTABLE

Playing for the fifth time in 6 1/2 days, Spurs are looking to salvage a split on a four-game road trip. ... Hornets have won 13 of the past 14 at New Orleans Arena, including seven in a row. ... Spurs totaled 162 points in consecutive losses at Charlotte and Memphis, after averaging better than 105 points in the five games prior. ... This is the Spurs’ first meeting with New Orleans since winning the season opener 113-96 in San Antonio.

— Jeff McDonald

[duncan228]

Hornets host Spurs in key division game on MLK Day (http://www.neworleans.com/sports/sports-blogs/ken-trahan/309728-hornets-host-spurs-in-key-division-game-on-mlk-day.html)
by Ken Trahan, President--NewOrleans.Com/Sports

http://www.neworleans.com/images/stories/sports/hornets_paul_parker_strip.jpg

Familiarity breeds contempt. While Chris Paul and Tony Parker remain very close friends, the New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs are enemies on the court. The two combatants renew their heated rivalry Monday.

New Orleans plays host to Southwest Division foe San Antonio in a Martin Luther King Day matinee at 2:30 p.m. at New Orleans Arena.

The Spurs are 24-15, three games ahead of New Orleans in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. New Orleans is 21-18 and tied for 10th in the West, just a half game behind Oklahoma City (22-18) and Houston (22-18) for the eighth spot and tied with Memphis (21-18) for the tenth spot.

The Hornets have played well within Western conference play at 14-8. New Orleans has been outstanding at home, posting a 15-3 mark at New Orleans Arena. The Hornets have won eight of 10 games overall following a 101-96 road win at Indiana Saturday night.

The Spurs are only 12-11 in Western conference play and have lost their last two games, falling in back-to-back road contests to Charlotte (92-76) and Memphis (92-86) Friday night and Saturday night. San Antonio is 7-9 on the road.

The Spurs have proven to be a nemesis for the Hornets. In the 2007-2008 season, San Antonio rallied from a three games to two deficit to beat the Hornets four games to three, winning game seven in New Orleans to advance to the Western conference final.

In the season opener for the Hornets this season, the Spurs had an easy time with the Hornets, routing New Orleans 113-96 at in a game that was never close. The Spurs sprinted out to a 57-39 lead at halftime, holding the Hornets without a field goal for a nine-and-a-half minute stretch and eventually built a 25-point lead before coasting to victory.

The Hornets shot 50 percent from the field (39 of 78) and 50 percent from three-point range (5 of 10) but San Antonio shot 52.3 percent (45 of 86) and outscored New Orleans 27-15 from three-point range. San Antonio out rebounded New Orleans 42-33.

The real difference in the game was the play of reserves. The Spurs' bench outscored New Orleans 61-17. Tony Parker led a balanced, diverse Spurs' attack with 17 points while Manu Ginobili came off the bench to contribute 16.

Chris Paul carried New Orleans with 26 points and nine assists. Emeka Okafor had 18 points and 10 rebounds in his Hornets debut while David West had 18 points and nine rebounds. The big three got no help.

Ageless Tim Duncan leads the Spurs into New Orleans, averaging a team high 19.9 points and a team high 10.3 rebounds. Tony Parker is averaging 16.5 points and 5.7 assists. Newly acquired Richard Jefferson contributes 12.8 points per game while Ginobili is at 12.5 points per game.

The Spurs average 101.1 points per game. They are a very good rebounding team, out rebounding opponents by 3.5 boards per game. The Spurs are a pretty good team from three-point range, averaging 38.4 percent on the year.

The Hornets shoot 35.9 percent from three-point range. Opponents out rebound New Orleans by 2.1 boards per game. Clearly, staying with the Spurs on the glass is a key to New Orleans being able to have a shot to win Monday. New Orleans is averaging 98.7 points per game.

Chris Paul leads the Hornets in scoring at 19.6 points per game and he leads the NBA with 11.3 assists per contest. David West averages 17.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

The Hornets clearly need more from their starting shooting guard. Devin Brown has slumped of late. In his last six games, Brown has made just 14 of 46 field goals (30.4%), including just four of 23 (17.3%) from three-point range, averaging 6.2 points per game.

Fortunately, rookie Marcus Thornton has stepped in to fill the void at the two-spot. The former LSU star has scored in double figures in his last five games, averaging 12.4 points per game along with 4.8 rebounds.

This is a big two-game stretch for the Hornets. After facing the Spurs, they will host Memphis on Wednesday. The much-improved Grizzlies are tied with the Hornets at 21-18 in the Southwest Division.

After the Memphis game, New Orleans faces a brutal stretch of four consecutive road games and five out of six away from home to close out the month.

The next eight games could well define the season for the Hornets. Should they emerge at .500 over this difficult stretch, New Orleans will be positioned to make a run at the playoffs. Anything less will leave them as low as 11th in the West, which would prove to be a large mountain to climb if the Hornets aspire to make the postseason for a third consecutive season.

[duncan228]

San Antonio (24-15) at New Orleans (21-18) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010011803&prov=ap)
Game info: 3:30 pm EST Mon Jan 18, 2010
TV: FSSW, CST
By Matt Beardmore

The New Orleans Hornets struggled during the early portion of the season, but they’re starting to get back on track. Another home game could help them continue that surge.

The Hornets look to win their eighth straight game in New Orleans on Monday when they face the San Antonio Spurs.

New Orleans (21-18) not only lost eight of its first 11 games, but it also had to adjust to the firing of coach Byron Scott, who was let go nine games into the season and replaced by general manager Jeff Bower.

Recent results under Bower have been encouraging. The Hornets won six straight from Dec. 30-Jan. 10, and though they’ve split their last four, they’re coming off a 101-96 win at Indiana on Saturday that put them within a half-game of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

“We consider ourselves a work in progress,” forward David West said after scoring 24 points against the Pacers. “I don’t think we can say we’re at a certain point yet. We just have to continue to play hard and get better because we dug ourselves a hole early.”

West had 18 points and nine rebounds, Emeka Okafor added 18 and 10 and Chris Paul scored 26 points with nine assists in a 113-96 season-opening loss in San Antonio on Oct. 28.

The Hornets, though, have won three in a row over the Spurs at New Orleans Arena, where they’ve won seven straight overall to improve to 15-3 at home this season. New Orleans hasn’t had a longer home winning streak since an 11-game run Feb. 27-April 6, 2008.

Paul had 26 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to lead the Hornets to a 90-86 win over the Spurs the last time the teams met in New Orleans on March 29.

San Antonio (24-15) is hoping to finish a challenging road trip on a high note after following a win over Oklahoma City with losses to Charlotte and Memphis, each of which is riding a franchise-best home winning streak.

The Spurs fell 92-86 to the Grizzlies on Saturday. They used a 12-0 run to pull within one point in the final two minutes, but the two-time defending Southwest Division champs could not overcome a 14-point second-half deficit.

“Just a bad game for us that we fought back into, and just couldn’t get over the top,” forward Tim Duncan said after scoring 23 points with eight rebounds and five blocks.

Duncan, who is averaging 20.8 points and 12.3 boards while posting four straight double-doubles in New Orleans, is 36 points shy of becoming the 35th player in NBA history to reach 20,000.

Richard Jefferson is barely halfway to that milestone, but he has more immediate concerns. He has totaled 11 points in his last two games and went 0 for 6 from the field Saturday - the first time since Jan. 8, 2006, that he didn’t make a field goal in a game. Jefferson had five points and shot 1 for 7 in the Oct. 28 win over New Orleans.

Paul, who is looking for his eighth straight double-double, is averaging 23.7 points, 12.7 assists and 4.7 boards during the Hornets’ home winning streak against the Spurs.

*********************

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Tim Duncan SA 19.9
Chris Paul NO 19.6

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 10.3
Emeka Okafor NO 9.9

Assists
Tony Parker SA 5.7
Chris Paul NO 11.3

[duncan228]

New Orleans Hornets seek to make up ground vs. San Antonio Spurs (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/01/new_orleans_hornets_seek_to_ma.html)
By Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune

As the NBA's All-Star break approaches just less than a month away, teams' thoughts turn to the standings and the ever-changing playoff seedings.

In today's holiday matinee between the New Orleans Hornets and the perennially difficult San Antonio Spurs, there's the added enticement of an opponent New Orleans has been able to handle at home the past two seasons and the ability for the Hornets to make a little more headway not only in the Western Conference but in the Southwest Division.

Before Sunday, the Hornets found themselves just three games behind in the division to second-place San Antonio, which held the fourth spot in the conference, and just a half-game from the eighth position in the West, the last playoff spot.

At 21-18, the Hornets are well within striking distance of the final four spots in the West, even though much basketball remains to be played.

However, today's game provides New Orleans with a measuring stick for continued improvement because the Spurs opened the regular season with a rather easy 113-96 win over the Hornets on Oct. 28 in San Antonio (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2009/10/new_orleans_hornets_vs_san_ant.html).

"Obviously, we're chasing them in the division, " said Hornets shooting guard Devin Brown, who grew up in San Antonio, played high school and college ball there and won a championship ring with the Spurs in 2004-05. "They beat us up pretty good in that first game, so we're definitely looking forward to that one."

Brown admits checking out the league standings whenever the Hornets win, as they did Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers, 101-96 (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/01/david_west_carries_new_orleans.html). He also has extra motivation each time the opponent is San Antonio.

"You try to keep an eye on it, " Brown said. "We needed to string some games together, which we did (in a six-game winning streak that ended a week ago with a 96-92 loss at Philadelphia). We had a couple hiccups (since). But we need to have a couple of these streaks where we can get hot and get back into the thick of things. I think we caught everybody's attention, knowing we're not just going to go away.

"You think about some of the situations and some of the things you went through with (the Spurs), whether it's good or bad. You don't necessarily want to stick it to them. But you just want to show them that maybe every now and again they miss you. San Antonio is where I live in the offseason. I work out with them. So, yeah, this is one of those things where you just want to leave this game where they have a little bit more respect for you."

The Hornets have fought back admirably to overcome the slow start to this season, gradually regaining some semblance of esteem around the league. They reinforced that with the recent winning streak and their ability to turn around a dismal road record with wins in four of the past six games away from the New Orleans Arena.

That slow start hasn't been as difficult to overcome, standings-wise, because there hasn't been a great deal of separation from top to bottom, especially in the Southwest Division. All five teams have a realistic shot at the postseason, and only five games separated first-place Dallas and the Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies, who are tied for fourth, before Sunday's games.

"There's a lot of teams all in the same neighborhood, " Hornets Coach Jeff Bower said. "You can look at our division and see all five of us are right in a similar area. The number of teams with a .500 record in the West is something that's going to show as the year goes on. A lot of teams are going to be beating each other. And that's going to be a factor as we all kind of battle it out.

"I think our guys understand that everything is ahead of us and that our play on the court will be kind of what determines our ultimate positioning, and that it's going to be a long season that's going to require a lot of battling and a lot of nights that we're going to be playing people that we're in contention with."

Such as today's game against the Spurs.

"There's still a lot of season left, " Hornets point guard Chris Paul said. "That's one thing I learned early in my career. Before the All-Star break is one thing and after the All-Star break is another. Every win gives you an opportunity to look at the standings. We've got to keep piling up as many wins as possible.

"The only way you're going to move up is to win games."

[Blackjack]

So I guess we should expect Paul to tank this game, so it benefits him later on down the line..:smokin

Gotta love Hoopsworld.

[Bukefal]

I have to wake up 4.30 am for this. Hope the Spurs don't disappont me, otherwise I will fall asleep in front of the computer.

:lol, well now you see what we European fans have to go thru every freakin' spurs game. Thank god I will be able to see the spurs tonight and sleep like a normal person :lol

[GrandeDavid]

Yeah, I don't see the Spurs winning this one either. I'll be very surprised if they win this game. They just don't seem to have much gas in the tank lately due to the tough stretch of many games in not many days, and they just seem to lack toughness. They are soft.

[Bender]

nice of them to schedule a weekday afternoon game when most people have to work.

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Mon. Jan 18
San Antonio @ New Orleans: Tom Washington; Eric Lewis; Leroy Richardson

[Agloco]

Monday: Spurs (24-15) at Hornets (21-18) (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Monday_Spurs_24-15_at_Hornets_21-18.html)

Time: 2:30 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - HORNETS


SF - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 9th yr) - 16 Peja Stojakovic (6-10, 12th yr)
Jefferson (0 for 6) is coming off his first basket-less game since 2006.



Really? I never realized that.

[benefactor]

On paper, this is another game that RJ can dominate by going to the rim. We'll see if he actually does it.

[legend of united]

we will win today , i believe ..=:)

[duncan228]

Game On: Spurs @ Hornets (http://www.hornets247.com/blog/2010/01/18/game-on-spurs-hornets)
by Niall Doherty

http://www.hornets247.com/images/uploads/2009/10/304-chris-paul-vs-tim-duncan.jpg

MLK Day at the Hive, with the Spurs in town to take on the Hornets for the second time this season.

The first meeting between these teams was the season opener in San Antonio back in October, which saw the Spurs cruise to a 113-96 victory behind a 61-17 edge in bench scoring.

The Spurs arrive in New Orleans today with a 24-15 record, but have lost their last two games (@ Charlotte, @ Memphis) to drop to 7-9 on the road. This is their last stop on a four-game road trip, and their fifth game in seven days to boot. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson have all struggled the past two games. Tim Duncan had himself a big night in Memphis on Saturday, delivering 23 points, 8 boards and 5 blocks.

The Spurs are a little banged up. Parker has been playing through plantar fasciitis, Michael Finley is out with an ankle sprain, Matt Bonner is still recovering from a broken hand, Antonio McDyess missed the Grizzlies game with a neck injury, and Duncan has been sitting out games here and there in an attempt to reverse the aging process.

Meanwhile, the Hornets have been doing pretty well, winning eight of their past ten games. They bounced back nicely from Friday's loss in Detroit to beat the Pacers on Saturday (http://www.hornets247.com/blog/2010/01/16/the-hornets-beat-the-pacers) behind a near triple-double from Chris Paul. The Hornets are 21-18 overall, 15-3 at home.

Numbers:

Pace: Spurs 93.5 (26th), Hornets 94.3 (20th)
Offensive Efficiency: Spurs 107.8 (7th), Hornets 104.0 (16th)
Defensive Efficiency: Spurs 101.4 (7th), Hornets 105.3 (19th)