duncan228
05-07-2008, 10:23 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.050708_HornetsSider.en.d6ea56ca.html
NBA: Hornets find groove that seems unstoppable
Mike Finger
Express-News Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS — Chris Paul turned 23 on Tuesday, but the birthday presents he received were irrelevant. As Paul has shown over and over again, if someone doesn’t give him what he wants, he simply takes it.
The Spurs are learning this the hard way.
Through two games of this Western Conference semifinal, Paul and the New Orleans Hornets have consistently imposed their will on the Spurs, forcing them to play their style, under their rules.
Thanks in large part to Paul’s relentlessness, the Hornets have forced the Spurs to sprint when they’ve wanted to trot, to backpedal when they’ve wanted to stay put, to give way when they’ve wanted to hold firm.
And through it all, Paul is forcing people to take notice whether they want to or not.
“Words can’t describe it,” Paul said, marveling at the way the past few weeks have unfolded. “These are some of the best moments of my life.”
It hardly matters that Paul finished second to Kobe Bryant in the NBA Most Valuable Player award balloting announced Tuesday. Those votes were cast weeks ago, and Paul appears far more interested in what is going on now.
He didn’t speak to the media after Tuesday’s practice, but he said Monday that Bryant “absolutely deserves” the MVP award.
As for what he and the Hornets deserve? After two blowout victories over the defending champions, it’s obvious they are due some credit for flustering the Spurs like no team has in the past six postseasons.
The Hornets are making the Spurs play at their pace. They’re taking away Tim Duncan and giving the Spurs no choice but to get their points from other spots on the floor. They’re forcing turnovers, and taking advantage of them when they do.
And it’s not as though New Orleans has had to resort to deception to pull it off.
“I think everyone knows our game plan,” Paul said.
“We know we can’t play their style,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “We can’t come down and throw it into David (West) like they do with Tim, and try to lull you into that type of game. We have to get up and down the floor.”
That’s exactly what they’ve done.
Paul, the dynamic second-year point guard, had 47 points and 25 assists in the first two games combined. New Orleans has outscored the Spurs 22-14 in fast-break points and 44-17 off turnovers.
“We’re in the groove right now,” Hornets center Tyson Chandler said. “I don’t know if there’s been a time this year when we’ve been really clicking like we are now.”
Said Scott: “The fact that we’re younger and a bit more hungry probably serves us well. And when you have athletic guys, you want to try to use that to the best of your ability.”
Maybe that will change in Game 3 at the AT&T Center on Thursday.
But as for now?
It’s not difficult to understand how Paul and the Hornets have gotten what they wanted.
“We’re executing our game plan a little better than San Antonio is,” Scott said. “That’s the bottom line.”
NBA: Hornets find groove that seems unstoppable
Mike Finger
Express-News Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS — Chris Paul turned 23 on Tuesday, but the birthday presents he received were irrelevant. As Paul has shown over and over again, if someone doesn’t give him what he wants, he simply takes it.
The Spurs are learning this the hard way.
Through two games of this Western Conference semifinal, Paul and the New Orleans Hornets have consistently imposed their will on the Spurs, forcing them to play their style, under their rules.
Thanks in large part to Paul’s relentlessness, the Hornets have forced the Spurs to sprint when they’ve wanted to trot, to backpedal when they’ve wanted to stay put, to give way when they’ve wanted to hold firm.
And through it all, Paul is forcing people to take notice whether they want to or not.
“Words can’t describe it,” Paul said, marveling at the way the past few weeks have unfolded. “These are some of the best moments of my life.”
It hardly matters that Paul finished second to Kobe Bryant in the NBA Most Valuable Player award balloting announced Tuesday. Those votes were cast weeks ago, and Paul appears far more interested in what is going on now.
He didn’t speak to the media after Tuesday’s practice, but he said Monday that Bryant “absolutely deserves” the MVP award.
As for what he and the Hornets deserve? After two blowout victories over the defending champions, it’s obvious they are due some credit for flustering the Spurs like no team has in the past six postseasons.
The Hornets are making the Spurs play at their pace. They’re taking away Tim Duncan and giving the Spurs no choice but to get their points from other spots on the floor. They’re forcing turnovers, and taking advantage of them when they do.
And it’s not as though New Orleans has had to resort to deception to pull it off.
“I think everyone knows our game plan,” Paul said.
“We know we can’t play their style,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “We can’t come down and throw it into David (West) like they do with Tim, and try to lull you into that type of game. We have to get up and down the floor.”
That’s exactly what they’ve done.
Paul, the dynamic second-year point guard, had 47 points and 25 assists in the first two games combined. New Orleans has outscored the Spurs 22-14 in fast-break points and 44-17 off turnovers.
“We’re in the groove right now,” Hornets center Tyson Chandler said. “I don’t know if there’s been a time this year when we’ve been really clicking like we are now.”
Said Scott: “The fact that we’re younger and a bit more hungry probably serves us well. And when you have athletic guys, you want to try to use that to the best of your ability.”
Maybe that will change in Game 3 at the AT&T Center on Thursday.
But as for now?
It’s not difficult to understand how Paul and the Hornets have gotten what they wanted.
“We’re executing our game plan a little better than San Antonio is,” Scott said. “That’s the bottom line.”