Spurs at Hornets Previews

[duncan228]

Game is Sunday, early tip 2:00 CST.


New Orleans Hornets trail the San Antonio Spurs by only a game for the Western Conference lead (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/11/new_orleans_hornets_trail_the.html)
John Reid, The Times Picayune

After ending a two-game losing streak with Friday night's victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Hornets are only one-game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conference lead.

The Hornets (12-3), who also trail the second-place Los Angeles Lakers (13-3) by a half-game, play host to the Spurs at 2 p.m Sunday at the New Orleans Arena.

The Spurs (13-2) had their 12-game winning streak snapped by the Dallas Mavericks 103-94 Friday night but they remain with the league's best record. The Lakers had their five-game winning streak end with a 102-96 loss to the Utah Jazz Friday night.

While the Spurs and Lakers were unable to avoid setbacks, the Hornets held the Trail Blazers 39.5 percent shooting and won the rebounding battle 48-27 in their 97-78 victory.

It was a turnaround from the Hornets' previous two games, when they allowed the Utah Jazz to shoot 48.8 percent and the Los Angeles Clippers finished at 50.7 percent of their shots. Resulting from their defensive problems, the Hornets lost to the Jazz 105-87 Wednesday night, and 99-95 to the Clippers Monday night.

"It's all about our guys,'' said Hornets Coach Monty Williams after Friday night's game. "They decided yesterday in practice that we need to be a defensive team and we showed signs.''

The Hornets defeated the Spurs 99-90 on Oct. 30 in their first road game of the season. New Orleans will enter Sunday's game with a 7-0 record at New Orleans Arena.

[Andy25]

Get that W.

[Ditty]

yeah win this one, and I see another nice winning streak coming up again to gain more ground

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

This game is CRITICAL. Spurs have to be able to beat the Hornets. Getting 2 out of 3 losses from them wouldn't be satisfying. Fight hard Spurs!


:flag::lobt2::flag::lobt2::flag::lobt2::flag:

[BRHornet45]

sons this will be another easy win for the Bees ... I know yall remember that 9 point beat down the BeeShow put on the Spurs a couple weeks back in their own house.

[jjktkk]

sons this will be another easy win for the Bees ... I know yall remember that 9 point beat down the BeeShow put on the Spurs a couple weeks back in their own house.

Bring back the pretty girl video sig. and I'll agree with you. :lol

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

It seems there is a trend that good teams like to lose games consecutively this year, lets hope the spurs are the exception.

[duncan228]

San Antonio (13-2) at New Orleans (12-3) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010112803)
Tipoff: 3:00 pm EST Sun Nov 28, 2010
TV: FSSW, CST
By Jeff Bartl

It took nearly a month for the San Antonio Spurs to lose another game after an October defeat against the New Orleans Hornets.

San Antonio visits New Orleans on Sunday night looking for a bit of revenge with a chance to extend its Southwest Division lead.

The Hornets beat the Spurs 99-90 on Oct. 30, and Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat the fourth quarter after San Antonio fell behind by 16 at the end of the third.

The Spurs got the message, especially Parker. He averaged 19.8 points and 7.9 assists during a 12-game winning streak, which ended Friday with a 103-94 loss to Dallas.

Despite the loss, the Spurs (13-2) are off to their best 15-game start in franchise history.

Manu Ginobili scored a season-high 31 points and George Hill scored 21 off the bench for the Spurs, who failed to score 100 or more points for only the fifth time in 15 games. San Antonio is the third highest-scoring team in the NBA, averaging 107.1 points.

“The last few games we were executing great down the stretch and making shots, but today they did,” Ginobili said. “It was pretty clear they made all the shots they needed and we didn’t.”

Duncan scored 15 points, but he’s struggled to start the season. Duncan is averaging 13.5 points and 6.9 rebounds - far below his career averages of 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.

It may not get any easier for Duncan against the Hornets, who lead the NBA giving up 91.1 points per game.

New Orleans (12-3) is coming off one of its best defensive performances of the season Friday in a 97-78 victory at Portland. The Hornets held the Blazers to a season-low 13 points in the fourth quarter to move within one game of the Spurs in the division.

Chris Paul scored 16 points and added 13 assists, and Willie Green scored a team-high 19 points off the bench. Portland shot only 39.5 percent from the field.

“That’s a credit to our team D,” Paul said. “At one point we got 11 of 12 stops. (Defense) is who we are. That’s our identity.”

After two straight losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah, first-year coach Monty Williams said Friday’s win was consistent with the team’s spirited effort in practice.

“This win doesn’t say a lot about me as a coach,” said Williams, who is a former assistant in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich. “It’s all about our guys. They decided yesterday in practice that we need to be a defensive team and we showed signs tonight.”

Paul has averaged 26.5 points in his last six against the Spurs, including 25 in the Oct. 30 win.

However, the Hornets’ last win against the Spurs was their first in six games. San Antonio has won six of eight in the series, including two victories last season when Paul sat out after having knee surgery.

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

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Manu Ginobili SA 21.5
David West NO 18.2

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 9.3
Emeka Okafor NO 9.6

Assists
Tony Parker SA 7.3
Chris Paul NO 10.3

[Pelicans78]

Parker needs to be contained. Hornets need to limit his penetration. Otherwise he will get easy buckets and setup other players.

Hornets need Marco to hit his threes and West has to play well.

[timtonymanu]

Need to get revenge on these guys. Also a loss will put us 3rd in the West.

Cue the "It's only November" crew.

[duncan228]

Sunday: Spurs (13-2) at Hornets (12-3) (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/27/sunday-spurs-13-2-at-hornets-12-3/)
Jeff McDonald

...Even after going 17 of 51 from 3-point range in past two games, Spurs lead NBA in long-ball accuracy (42.6 percent). … Paul heads Western Conference in assists (10.1 per game).

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/27/sunday-spurs-13-2-at-hornets-12-3/

[Ginobilly]

expect to see Bonner on David West throughout the whole game, and watch West go for 32pts 15rbs. Splitter will meanwhile play his usual 8 minutes and do well but Pop wont play him at all in the second half.

[fevertrees]

I already got a game program and it says the "Matchup of the Game To Watch" is West and Bonner...gonna be a battle between those two!

[duncan228]

Spurs take second swat at new-look Hornets (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/28/spurs-take-second-swat-at-new-look-hornets/)
Jeff McDonald

...“We kind of forgot about them last year because of the injuries, and they were out of the playoffs,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “People started to ignore them. Big mistake.”

...“We’re going to have to do a great job to get this loss back and get a win (in New Orleans),” Ginobili said after the Dallas game. “It will be a huge game for us.”

...“I think everybody knows Chris Paul is Chris Paul,” Spurs guard George Hill said. “He’s one of the best point guards in the league. We’re going to have our hands full.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/28/spurs-take-second-swat-at-new-look-hornets/

[Nathan89]

It seems there is a trend that good teams like to lose games consecutively this year, lets hope the spurs are the exception.

Seems like a paradox.

If good teams lose consecutive games and the spurs don't, then I guess the spurs aren't good.

I don't know if I should root for the spurs or against them.:downspin:

[mingus]

Keys: RJ and TP show up. contain West.

there's nothing keeping RJ and TP from showing up other than themselves, so it's the Spurs' game to lose.

[Crickets]

sons this will be another easy win for the Bees ... I know yall remember that 9 point beat down the BeeShow put on the Spurs a couple weeks back in their own house.

I Agree the Hornets will open a can of good old fashion ass whooping on the spurts

[Crickets]

BTW Hornets by 20+

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Sun. Nov. 28
San Antonio @ New Orleans: Ed Malloy; Bennie Adams; Kane Fitzgerald

[duncan228]

Advanced Scouting: San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-san-antonio-spurs-new-orleans-hornets-112810)
by Scott Sereday
48 Minutes of Hell

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-san-antonio-spurs-new-orleans-hornets-112810

[duncan228]

New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs in early game with division implications (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/11/new_orleans_hornets_san_antoni.html)
Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune

One month into the regular season, a game takes place this afternoon in New Orleans Arena that might have serious implications five months down the road.

The importance of today’s matinee between the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hornets, the top two teams in the Southwest Division and among the top three in the Western Conference, isn’t lost on New Orleans’ players. They already have a victory over the team that has won four NBA titles, one of which the Hornets’ coach and general manager were a part of in 2005.

And it has become no secret that the Hornets, led by two leaves that have fallen from the Spurs’ coaching/front office tree, Monty Williams and Dell Demps, are now following the San Antonio blueprint.

“Fortunately, we beat those guy last time we were at their place,” Hornets point guard Chris Paul said of New Orleans’ 99-90 win on Oct. 30, the Spurs’ first defeat before a 12-game winning streak that ended Friday night at San Antonio with a 103-94 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. “Now we get the opportunity to play against those guys at home.

Keep Reading... (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/11/new_orleans_hornets_san_antoni.html)

http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/11/new_orleans_hornets_san_antoni.html

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


New Orleans Hornets vs. San Antonio Spurs preview capsule (http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/11/new_orleans_hornets_vs_san_ant_6.html)
Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune

...This is the second meeting of the teams, who are battling for first place in the Southwest Division. The Hornets won 99-90 in San Antonio on Oct. 30.
...The Spurs have won the past three games in the New Orleans Arena and lead the series 39-19, including a 19-10 record on the road.
...The Hornets’ win against the Spurs last month snapped a five-game San Antonio winning streak against New Orleans. After that loss, the Spurs went on a 12-game winning streak that was snapped by the Dallas Mavericks, 103-94 Friday night in San Antonio.

http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/11/new_orleans_hornets_vs_san_ant_6.html

[Proxy]

How many times will Splitter be wide open in the pick and roll... c'mon Hill