Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Hornets Game 3

[timvp]

The San Antonio Spurs have a pulse. Down 0-2 against the New Orleans Hornets, the Spurs got a home win that they had to get. While the Spurs aren’t healthy quite yet, they took the first step toward recovery tonight.

The Spurs trailed 56-54 at halftime but came out in the third quarter and played very good basketball in the second half. Up two points with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Spurs went on an 11-0 run to put the game away. When all was said and done, the Spurs won 110-99 and now trail the Hornets 2-1 in this best of seven series.

The Hornets once again played very well. Chris Paul, although his theatrics were a bit overboard at times, was almost flawless. He had 35 points, nine assists and one turnover, while shooting 15-for-25 from the court. David West (23 points and 12 rebounds) was also very impressive. The Hornets got off to an 8-0 start to the game but seemed to run out of gas a bit in the fourth quarter. Despite the Spurs win, the Hornets showed that they’re very capable of putting up a good fight in San Antonio.

It was good to see the Spurs respond well to the adversity of a must-win situation – especially after they fell into an early hole. The team stayed together and kept chipping away at the rock until they figured it out. It was far from a perfect game by San Antonio, but they got the win.

Overall, things are looking a bit more positive. The Spurs made a lot of adjustments and virtually all of the adjustments ended up working out for the better. There are definitely positives to take out of this contest, however there’s still a long ways to go. Game 3 was about pride and survival. Now the hard part begins.

-Tim Duncan is slowly but surely getting better as this series progresses. In Game 3, he still wasn’t anywhere near dominant, but he seems to be figuring things out. He finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and four blocks, while shooting 6-for-13 from the field. Defensively, he did a better job of covering the basket. On the offensive end, Duncan knew the double-teams were coming and usually made the right decision. I’m not sure if Duncan is sick or maybe just fatigued but something looks to be wrong with him. He just doesn’t have his usual energy. Hopefully he can shake whatever ails him and start becoming a bigger factor in this series.

-Manu Ginobili, who was back in the starting lineup, had a classic Manu Ginobili game. He’s clearly hobbled with who knows what type of injury at the moment, but he fought through it and gave the Spurs everything he had. Ginobili finished with 31 points, six assists and four rebounds, while shooting 11-for-22 from the field. Offensively, he was gigantic for the Spurs. In the pick-and-rolls, he was shredding the Hornets defense. Ginobili also did a very good job of taking care of the ball. He had three quick turnovers to start the game but then never turned the ball over again. Defensively, he did a good job in the halfcourt sets, however his transition defense still needs a lot of work in this series. Overall, I’m very happy and encouraged with how Ginobili played. He cut down on his shaky decisions offensively and instead let the game come to him. Ginobili needs to remain in the starting lineup and keep bringing this type of all-out effort for the Spurs to have a chance at this series.

-Tony Parker played an impressive ballgame. He competed and stayed in attack mode throughout the contest. He finished with 31 points, 11 assists and four rebounds, while shooting 12-for-24 from the field. He had three turnovers but all were on traveling violations. A dead ball turnover against the Hornets doesn’t hurt you nearly as much as turnovers that lead directly to fast break points. Defensively, while Paul was able to have success against him, Parker made him work. On offense, Parker made a lot of good decisions and never backed down. I’d like to see him be a bit more patient offensively at times, but can’t complain too much with how he played.

-Bruce Bowen got his shot against Peja Stojakovic and didn’t disappoint. Stojakovic came into the game with 47 points in the first two games. In Game 3, Bowen held him to eight points. Taking Stojakovic out of this series is extremely vital for the Spurs – and that job falls squarely on Bowen’s shoulders. Offensively, Bowen was also key for San Antonio. He had 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-9 shooting on three-pointers. Bowen also had two assists, one rebound, one steal and one blocked shot. Bowen needs to keep defending and keep scoring for the Spurs to come out victorious.

-Kurt Thomas played another solid game. His defense against West was impressive, even though West still had success. On the night, Thomas had four points and ten rebounds, while hitting half of his four field goal attempts. His ten rebounds in 21 minutes were important and helped the Spurs outrebound the Hornets 43-41. Thomas seems to be figuring out the moves West likes to go to, which will hopefully help Thomas in forthcoming games.

-Fabricio Oberto picked a good time to have his best game of the playoffs. His stats are modest – two points, nine rebounds and two assists – but he was huge for the Spurs in the second half. His passing opened up the floor and created a number of easy looks. The chemistry he has offensively with the Big Three was especially evident tonight. Defensively, Oberto is still a work in progress but it was good to see him do a much better job rebounding the ball.

-Michael Finley came off the bench and hit a few vital shots for the Spurs. Finley, who usually struggles for a while when his role changes, came out firing and finished with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists. He hit 4-of-7 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the three-point line. With Ginobili in the starting lineup, the Spurs need Finley to be instant offense from the bench. In Game 3, he was just that.

-Brent Barry played only four minutes after playing well in Game 2. I expected Barry to play more in this game but he just needs to stay ready. There will come a game in this series where Barry knocks down big shots.

-Robert Horry got a few seconds early when the Spurs went to Hack-a-Tyson Chandler. Horry then played the final minute and hit a three-pointer. Joining Horry in garbage time were Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn.

-While I want to give Pop a lot of credit for making a number of adjustments in this game, part of me wonders why it took two losses for Pop to see the light. But whatever, I guess better late than never.

After Game 2, I wanted Bowen on Stojakovic. Parker on Paul. Ginobili in the starting lineup. No more Udoka. No more Horry. And more Barry. In Game 3, I got everything except more Barry. I’ll gladly accept five out of six. And truthfully, with the way Finley was playing, I can’t argue with Pop opting for Finley instead of Barry.

Bowen on Stojakovic has a chance to be the series altering adjustment. Although it was an obvious adjustment that a lot of Spurs fans were hoping to see, it was refreshing that Pop wasn’t too stubborn and actually made the switch. Basically, Bowen was born to defend Stojakovic. When Bowen gets his number raised to the rafters one day at the AT&T Center, his highlight-reel will contain footage of him pestering Stojakovic throughout the years. I remain fully confident that Bowen can do a masterful job against the Hornets’ sharpshooter.

And though Parker isn’t going to stop Paul, nobody is going to stop him right now. Parker forced Paul into tough shots and Paul hit those tough shots. That’s about all you can ask for against a player that hot. As far as Ginobili in the starting lineup, that was a no-brainer. Ginobili needs to play as much as possible right now for the Spurs to save their season.

In Game 4, I want to see more of the same from Pop. Keep Bowen on Stojakovic as much as possible. Force Paul to have to score 40 points to beat you. Offensively, Pop needs to ensure that Ginobili and Parker keep attacking and the shooters keep shooting with confidence. A large part of the victory for San Antonio was the fact that the team shot 11-for-25 from beyond the arc. Pop needs to keep the best shooters possible on the court to open up things for the Big Three.

The bottomline is the Spurs won the game they had to win. Game 4 is where the Spurs can make this a series again. It’s going to be a tough contest but this team can get it done.

Believe.

[Obstructed_View]

With the West as tight as it's been all year, I expect every single game to be this close unless one team decides not to show up. The team that emerges out of this conference will have earned it.

[Admidave50]

Great recap, I was glad also that the adjustments were made! The second half was classic Spurs game at times!

The next game is critical but I remain confident after this one!

[san antonio spurs]

where the fuck is spurs dynasty who said parker was a fraud???:lol

[DespЏrado]

Great write up as always.
My additions:

I am as big a Finley hater as any but I was impressed with his game tonight. He held his own on defense against Bonzi and even frustrated him a little bit. He hit some huge 3 pointers and generally did all you could ask of him to do, and he accepted his role off the bench. So props to him.

I really liked the Spurs improvement on defense in the 2nd half tonight. It looked much more like Spurs defense especially to close the game out. That is absolutely crucial going forward.

If the Spurs can hang in there and stay in this series the Hornet's will start to tighten up. They are playing off of pure confidence and adrenaline, if the Spurs can take that away we have a chance to win the series.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I haven't watched it yet and thus haven't read the write up, but I will.

As for thoughts, knowing the result all I can think is "THANK FUCK FOR THAT!"

GO SPURS GO!!! :flag:

[pooh]

you didn't blow them out....they were in it, so it's a faint pulse. and what is the Spurs record on Mothers day?

[Manufan909]

It's a blow out when a 34 year old team beats out a 27 year old team by eleven. Spurs don't have to have huge leads, they're just counting the seconds til it's over and they can talk about the good old days, and how they showed them young punks what's what.

[pooh]

I really don't see it as a blow out, considering that Hornets blew the Spurs out of the gym in games 1 and 2 and they barely won by 11 points.

[Obstructed_View]

I really don't see it as a blow out, considering that Hornets blew the Spurs out of the gym in games 1 and 2 and they barely won by 11 points.

So a 30 point turnaround isn't good enough for you? Oh well, you'd be in here finding something to bitch about if the Spurs won by fifty. :lol

[Manufan909]

Calm down OV, it's cool. He's a Pacers fan, he's been through enough already. Let's explain some other time how the Hornets converted 3 good games into two wins, whilst the Spurs are 1 for 1.

[Kori Ellis]

where the fuck is spurs dynasty who said parker was a fraud???:lol

SpursDynasty21 is no longer at SpursTalk.

[pooh]

if the spurs won by that much I'd be impressed but no team will beat another by 50 though. but the Spurs didn't beat the Hornets by 25 points, the game was close throughout and they (Spurs) should be concerned when you didn't contain CP3, he still got his points, so much for shutting him down. the good thing about the Hornets is they have homecourt and all they have to do is simply win their games, much like Boston did with Atlanta.

[Kori Ellis]

they (Spurs) should be concerned when you didn't contain CP3, he still got his points,

Why should they be concerned at that? That's the Spurs game plan. They decide to let Paul get what he can get and defend everyone else. That's why they changed up the defensive matchups.

[DespЏrado]

SpursDynasty21 is no longer at SpursTalk.

Just how much are we wielding the ban hammer?

Is this strictly based on the city smack (katrina) and racism?

[Manufan909]

Do you not read anything!?! That's Pops FUCKING plan!!! We can't stop him, so who cares? We shut down everyone else, make him turn into a Stockton/Kobe hybrid. Since he can't do that, THEY ARE SCREWED? You want to know where 20pts went? Out the window cuz Bowen owns Peja like the Spurs own the Suns. And Parker cancelled out Paul all by his lonesome. And Tim cancelled out West, so who is going to cancel out Manu? Let me anwer that for you. No one. And the Spurs are still not in peak condition, imagine if TD didn't have a fever; he would dominate just like he did in the first series.

[Kori Ellis]

Just how much are we wielding the ban hammer?

Is this strictly based on the city smack (katrina) and racism?

No, he was banned for other reasons. He has been on "probation" for a long time. The Katrina/racism bannings are 48 hour timeouts, not permanent.

[DespЏrado]

No, he was banned for other reasons. He has been on "probation" for a long time.

NP I think you should consider giving the Hornet's fans a forum like some are requesting....It might be a good idea seeing as how they are probably going to be a very good team for a long time. And they obviously just found the internet. :lol

[m33p0]

NP I think you should consider giving the Hornet's fans a forum like some are requesting....It might be a good idea seeing as how they are probably going to be a very good team for a long time. And they obviously just found the internet. :lol
suns and mavs fans have something to say about that.

is it true that TD was playing sick the first 2 games?

[L.I.T]

suns and mavs fans have something to say about that.

is it true that TD was playing sick the first 2 games?

I think someone mentioned in the Game Blog that he was still running a fever during Game 2. Not sure if there's anything official though.

[milkyway21]

I hope TP makes adjustments. 3 travelling turnovers is a big no, no, esp if the game is tight.

[Obstructed_View]

and they (Spurs) should be concerned when you didn't contain CP3, he still got his points, so much for shutting him down.

Nobody was trying to shut him down. He'd have needed nearly 50 to win tonight's game, and he was hitting everything. Tonight's game plan was handled perfectly, and the Spurs won going away even without playing particularly well. All they have to do is win their games at home and they have two chances to win in New Orleans. That's good enough for me.

[Manufan909]

3 turnovers to 11 assists I'll take every game of the postseason. Hell, those were his ONLY turnovers, so he needs to work on when to pass, and when to make plays. That's the most I've seen him travel in awhile, though. Anyone know how much he travelled in the PS before this game?

[Obstructed_View]

No, but I know how many times he actually travelled in this game.

[Deuces88]

I really don't see it as a blow out, considering that Hornets blew the Spurs out of the gym in games 1 and 2 and they barely won by 11 points.

How is it possible that someone barely wins by double digits? Now we have a dumb Pacers fan.

[Obstructed_View]

Calm down OV, it's cool. He's a Pacers fan, he's been through enough already. Let's explain some other time how the Hornets converted 3 good games into two wins, whilst the Spurs are 1 for 1.

I know who pooh is, thanks. He's been around since his team was decent. His takes haven't gotten any better.

[remingtonbo2001]

:tu There's nothing like a recap and coffee to start the morning.

[ChinaSpursFan]

Timvp, any other players you want to see attacking the basket offensively?

Any chance of using Oberto like last year. There were times when Oberto would score in double digits because teams forgot about him.

[DAF86]

I'm tired of seeing an alley-up between Paul and Chandler in every single quarter, what do you think 'bout switching in the PnR?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

if the spurs won by that much I'd be impressed but no team will beat another by 50 though. but the Spurs didn't beat the Hornets by 25 points, the game was close throughout and they (Spurs) should be concerned when you didn't contain CP3, he still got his points, so much for shutting him down. the good thing about the Hornets is they have homecourt and all they have to do is simply win their games, much like Boston did with Atlanta.

pooh, it's been a couple of years, but you're still as clueless as ever. Stick to writing books.

That's how the Spurs are going to win this series. Make Paul score 50 a game on jumpers to beat you.

The Spurs can beat NO with him going off and shutting everyone else down. They can't win when Peja's going for 25, MoPete for 12, etc. like what was happening in games 1-2.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'm tired of seeing an alley-up between Paul and Chandler in every single quarter, what do you think 'bout switching in the PnR?

Um, we were switching the pick and roll on the plays Chandler gets the oop. Parker gets switched onto Chandler, Tim or Thomas ends up on Paul, and he just throws it over the top.

[DAF86]

Um, we were switching the pick and roll on the plays Chandler gets the oop. Parker gets switched onto Chandler, Tim or Thomas ends up on Paul, and he just throws it over the top.

Paul gets to the paint every time he lobs it for Tyson, we need to switch hard or before to avoid Paul getting to the paint, maybe even trap him.

[DarrinS]

I’m not sure if Duncan is sick or maybe just fatigued but something looks to be wrong with him. He just doesn’t have his usual energy. Hopefully he can shake whatever ails him and start becoming a bigger factor in this series.

-Manu Ginobili, who was back in the starting lineup, had a classic Manu Ginobili game. He’s clearly hobbled with who knows what type of injury at the moment, but he fought through it and gave the Spurs everything he had.



I heard through a friend that Tim was still not 100%, and it showed. Manu's ankle is clearly bothering him. I guess they'll have to play through it.

Spurs had excellent ball movement in that game. Tim made the Hornets pay for their double-teams, but I don't think the Hornets are going away from that strategy anytime soon.

Bruce Lee Bowen on Peja was huge.

[smeagol]

Paul gets to the paint every time he lobs it for Tyson, we need to switch hard or before to avoid Paul getting to the paint, maybe even trap him.

Trapping CP3 implies double teaming (in most cases) and that = a shooter being open.

Not sure that would be the ideal game plan.

[florige]

Trapping CP3 implies double teaming (in most cases) and that = a shooter being open.

Not sure that would be the ideal game plan.



No by all means don't do that, then we are back to the games 1 & 2 problems. I was just trying to think of a way to at least slow him down where everytime he attempts a shot it's not going to be two points. All this without altering our game 3 defensive gameplan much. I wonder what Scott is telling his team now.

[DarrinS]

Trapping CP3 implies double teaming (in most cases) and that = a shooter being open.

Not sure that would be the ideal game plan.


Agreed..


Making CP3 a shooter instead of a distributer worked last night. Who cares if he gets 35 points? What I don't want to see is a scrub like Peja getting 25 points.

[GrandeDavid]

Great writeup about a great win. Three more to go!

[MoSpur]

CP3 and West got theirs, but no one else on the Hornets was really that effective except for maybe Chandler, but only because everyone on the team threw him a lob. Other than that, no one else went off. Bowen made it very hard for Peja and took him out of the game from the start.

Props to Pop and the team for making adjustments. Finley was great off the bench. He put a huge smile on my face in the first half with all them threes.

[MoSpur]

The Spurs did as best as they could on the pick and roll. That team has it down. I expect them (Spurs) to improve as the series goes on.

[MoSpur]

I wanted to see more of Barry last night, but Finley was on so I guess Pop decided to go with more minutes for Finley instead of Barry.

[florige]

I'm just hoping that letting Paul completley go won't come back to bite us in a close game because he is so freakin hot. Like I said I wouldn't change a thing from last nights gameplan. I thought it worked out great. I just would like to maybe see us at least slow him down a little. That one move he faked Duncan on was freakin sick.

[DAF86]

Agreed..


Making CP3 a shooter instead of a distributer worked last night. Who cares if he gets 35 points? What I don't want to see is a scrub like Peja getting 25 points.

I also prefer Paul as a shooter, but I'd like to see him taking more jumpers instead of getting to the paint.

[cjjr72984]

Observations from Game 3:

1.) Parker and Ginobli had very good games and should be commended for keeping SA in the game and this series....for now.

2.) However, Chris Paul took his game to an entirely different level last night. He is without a doubt the best point guard in the league and he showed it with every dazzling play. At one point, ESPN cameras showed Tony Parker dribbling downcourt after one of Paul's baskets. He couldn't help but to shake his head is disbelief. CP3 is amazing.

3.) Hornets will make the adjustments and come out guns blazing in game 4. I think you'll see increased defensive pressure and better ball movement compared to game 3. CP3 is at his best when he's a facilitator, not a scorer. Coach Scott knows that and he'll do what's necessary to get this team ready to take this series back to N.O. with a 3-1 lead.

4.) Bowen played good defense on Peja last night. If he can continue to stick to Peja like that, that will change the series since Peja's shooting is key for us.

In conclusion, as a Hornets fan I can't honestly say I woke up this morning worried at all. Spurs are a great team, they're the champs, and deserve as much respect as the Bulls teams from the 90's. However, everyone expected the spurs to show more tenacity in game 3 and that's what we saw. Winning game 3 for the Hornets would've been "a cherry on top" so to speak. It was in essence a game 7 for them.

But the Hornets showed alot of tenacity and were in this game from beginning to end. I would be worried if we would've lost by 15+ pts but that wasn't the case. San Antonio is not a team built to win games with their offense and that's exactly what they did last night. They won't continue to make shots that are continuously contested the rest of this series. That's not the way this team was built.

Peace

[spurster]

timvp did not mention that the Spurs essentially went to a 7-man rotation: the big 3, Bowen, Thomas, Oberto, and Finley. Other players just got spot or garbage minutes. I'm wondering if the big 3 can continue 40+ minutes/game for the rest of this series.

[florige]

Observations from Game 3:

1.) Parker and Ginobli had very good games and should be commended for keeping SA in the game and this series....for now.

2.) However, Chris Paul took his game to an entirely different level last night. He is without a doubt the best point guard in the league and he showed it with every dazzling play. At one point, ESPN cameras showed Tony Parker dribbling downcourt after one of Paul's baskets. He couldn't help but to shake his head is disbelief. CP3 is amazing.

3.) Hornets will make the adjustments and come out guns blazing in game 4. I think you'll see increased defensive pressure and better ball movement compared to game 3. CP3 is at his best when he's a facilitator, not a scorer. Coach Scott knows that and he'll do what's necessary to get this team ready to take this series back to N.O. with a 3-1 lead.


4.) Bowen played good defense on Peja last night. If he can continue to stick to Peja like that, that will change the series since Peja's shooting is key for us.
In conclusion, as a Hornets fan I can't honestly say I woke up this morning worried at all. Spurs are a great team, they're the champs, and deserve as much respect as the Bulls teams from the 90's. However, everyone expected the spurs to show more tenacity in game 3 and that's what we saw. Winning game 3 for the Hornets would've been "a cherry on top" so to speak. It was in essence a game 7 for them.

But the Hornets showed alot of tenacity and were in this game from beginning to end. I would be worried if we would've lost by 15+ pts but that wasn't the case. San Antonio is not a team built to win games with their offense and that's exactly what they did last night. They won't continue to make shots that are continuously contested the rest of this series. That's not the way this team was built.

Peace




You mentioned the key thing right there. If Peja can't get off on Bowen that really limits CP's distributing ability. And not to take anything away from Paul, but alot of those shots he were making were circus shots. Thats why Parker was shaking his head.

[gilmor]

I know who pooh is, thanks. He's been around since his team was decent. His takes haven't gotten any better.

He has a fucking mullet and looks like fuck anyway.. why bother..

[ForeignFan]

Observations from Game 3:

1.) Parker and Ginobli had very good games and should be commended for keeping SA in the game and this series....for now.

2.) However, Chris Paul took his game to an entirely different level last night. He is without a doubt the best point guard in the league and he showed it with every dazzling play. At one point, ESPN cameras showed Tony Parker dribbling downcourt after one of Paul's baskets. He couldn't help but to shake his head is disbelief. CP3 is amazing. :lol

are you sure he was not crying and calling his mum ?

BTW, I do not expect CP3 to shoot 15/25 every night - way above his average FG%

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

What a fantastic game of basketball!

Parker, OMG, and how Ginobili can tear a team up on one leg I will never know. Penetrating offense, crisp passing, knocking down shots; tough, harrassing, uncompromising defense. Great win. :tu

More in game 4 please.

PS Paul is one of the three best players to enter the league since Duncan (with LeBron and ?).

[cjjr72984]

are you sure he was not crying and calling his mum ?


I don't understand what you mean?

[T Park]

But the Hornets showed alot of tenacity and were in this game from beginning to end. I would be worried if we would've lost by 15+ pts but that wasn't the case. San Antonio is not a team built to win games with their offense and that's exactly what they did last night. They won't continue to make shots that are continuously contested the rest of this series. That's not the way this team was built.



Uh there were no contested open jumpers.

The Spurs have always made clutch shots.

Just keep thinking the Spurs will choke :lol

[cjjr72984]

Uh there were no contested open jumpers.

The Spurs have always made clutch shots.

Just keep thinking the Spurs will choke :lol

The Spurs can make contested shots no doubt, but the Hornets are forcing the Spurs to play the game the way this team wasn't built for.

I'm sure the Hornets will take Bowen, Parker, and Ginobli shooting 3's as opposed to letting Timmy get the ball in the paint and putting us in foul trouble. That's the approach the Hornets have taken in this series and it's gotten them to a 2-1 lead. Can't argue with that!

[41times]

My thoughts on game 3. I watched it all and it appeared to me that the Spurs had to give every ounce of everything they had to beat the Hornets.

My qustion is do the Spurs have that much left to give again for game 4, because it is going to take just as much or more in order to beat the Hornets again.

Great effort by the Spurs. They refused to lose in the 2nd half.

They did it once, can they do that same thing 3 more times? We'll see!

[wildbill2u]

Paul isn't going to shoot 60% in every game, making tough circus shots against a good defender (Parker).

In fact, whether it was fatigue, nerves, continuing good defense, or the law of averages, he missed some crucial shots going down the stretch in the 4th quarter.

Same thing can be said for West.

While the Hornets were clanging iron, the Spurs went on an 11-0 run. That's what championship caliber teams do.

[cjjr72984]

My thoughts on game 3. I watched it all and it appeared to me that the Spurs had to give every ounce of everything they had to beat the Hornets.

My qustion is do the Spurs have that much left to give again for game 4, because it is going to take just as much or more in order to beat the Hornets again.


That's EXACTLY why I'm not worried for the Hornets. That was a great game played by the Spurs and the Hornets were still in the game until the last 4 mins or so. If it would've been a dominating performance from beggining to end for the Spurs, I would be very concerned. IMHO, the Hornets are just the more talented, athletic, and better team this year.

[Spurminator]

Paul isn't going to shoot 60% in every game, making tough circus shots against a good defender (Parker).

Knock on wood.

[boutons_]

I was hoping for a totally convincing Spurs win, as the Spurs' losses in NO were totally convincing, but this W showed a lot of convincing adjustments, and above all a convincing last 24 minutes.

The Spurs played very hard and still opened up the game only in the last minutes. I'm sure they're not cocky. :)

Tim has 2 days to get his ass back on the rails. Good luck. I know the morning when I awake and finally shake off a sickness, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY. Hoping Tim feels like that Sunday morning.

It'll take even more of the same hard playing to go 2-2, since the Hornets absolutely want to take 3-1 back to NO for the kill.

A 2-2 game5 will be, as historically seen, pivotal. Winner takes all.
(eg, Auburn Hills 05)

Never count out a Champion.

Go Spurs Go

[cjjr72984]

Paul isn't going to shoot 60% in every game, making tough circus shots against a good defender (Parker).

In fact, whether it was fatigue, nerves, continuing good defense, or the law of averages, he missed some crucial shots going down the stretch in the 4th quarter.

Same thing can be said for West.

While the Hornets were clanging iron, the Spurs went on an 11-0 run. That's what championship caliber teams do.

I wouldn't be so quick to make that assessment. Chris Paul could very well go on a scoring display again. The Spurs can't stop him so why not?! Chris Paul is a Greek God, yall betta recognize, lol.

Seriously though, I think it was a little fatigue that made him miss those shots. He probably burned himself out a little from trying to do too much throughout this game that is caught up with him in the final stretch of the 4th. It's all good though, I'm confident the Hornets will prevail in the end.

[DAF86]

That's EXACTLY why I'm not worried for the Hornets. That was a great game played by the Spurs and the Hornets were still in the game until the last 4 mins or so. If it would've been a dominating performance from beggining to end for the Spurs, I would be very concerned. IMHO, the Hornets are just the more talented, athletic, and better team this year.

99 % of Spurs games in the playoffs are like this, and had been like this for years, they don't blow any team out. They just keep it close and execute at the end.

[florige]

Knock on wood.

I would like to see us force him into shooting more jumpshots verses him driving the lane all the time. But as long as he's not getting those other mops involved and giving them wide open looks I could care less if he scores 50 a game. It seems that Thomas is playing West better now which is another positive in our favor.

[florige]

Observations from Game 3:

1.) Parker and Ginobli had very good games and should be commended for keeping SA in the game and this series....for now.

2.) However, Chris Paul took his game to an entirely different level last night. He is without a doubt the best point guard in the league and he showed it with every dazzling play. At one point, ESPN cameras showed Tony Parker dribbling downcourt after one of Paul's baskets. He couldn't help but to shake his head is disbelief. CP3 is amazing.

3.) Hornets will make the adjustments and come out guns blazing in game 4. I think you'll see increased defensive pressure and better ball movement compared to game 3. CP3 is at his best when he's a facilitator, not a scorer. Coach Scott knows that and he'll do what's necessary to get this team ready to take this series back to N.O. with a 3-1 lead.

4.) Bowen played good defense on Peja last night. If he can continue to stick to Peja like that, that will change the series since Peja's shooting is key for us.

In conclusion, as a Hornets fan I can't honestly say I woke up this morning worried at all. Spurs are a great team, they're the champs, and deserve as much respect as the Bulls teams from the 90's. However, everyone expected the spurs to show more tenacity in game 3 and that's what we saw. Winning game 3 for the Hornets would've been "a cherry on top" so to speak. It was in essence a game 7 for them.


But the Hornets showed alot of tenacity and were in this game from beginning to end. I would be worried if we would've lost by 15+ pts but that wasn't the case. San Antonio is not a team built to win games with their offense and that's exactly what they did last night. They won't continue to make shots that are continuously contested the rest of this series. That's not the way this team was built.

Peace




Alot of you Hornets fans are missing the point here. You keep saying that oh it wasn;t a blowout, you guys only beat us by this much, it doesn;t matter. What matters is we found a solution to a problem that plagued us the first two games. We could not allow the other shooters on the Hornets to beat us. If you remember in game 1 we were right there with 8 minutes to go as well. And that was despite the fact that we played gawd awful, and Peja and Mo Pete for goodness sakes were doing whatever they wanted. Sure we only beat you guys by 11 because Pop pulled the starters. You also have to remember that this is the second time this year we have went with this defensive assignment against you guys. And both times you guys have lost. Plus we have Kurt Thomas who is figuring out West more every game. The bottom line is the more we get used to this assignment, the easier it;s going be for us defending you guys. If you guys lose game 4 you are the ones who will need to make adjustments, not us.

[cjjr72984]

If you guys lose game 4 you are the ones who will need to make adjustments, not us.

Which is exactly why Byron Scott will make adjustments BEFORE game 4.

[DarrinS]

At one point, ESPN cameras showed Tony Parker dribbling downcourt after one of Paul's baskets. He couldn't help but to shake his head is disbelief. CP3 is amazing.


I think TP was wanting to laugh, because CP3 just threw up a prayer, with his back to the basket, and the damn thing went in. Complete luck shot.

Dude's crazy good though.

[florige]

Which is exactly why Byron Scott will make adjustments BEFORE game 4.



We'll see. Byron is a good coach so we'll see.

[cjjr72984]

We'll see. Byron is a good coach so we'll see.

He would be silly not to. I trust that he will though. If he wants to get a stranglehold on this series he'll make some adjustments as needed. Everyone is waiting to see how the Hornets will counter after a loss. Scott will tweak the gameplan and the players will play accordingly.

[Don Quixote]

:tu There's nothing like a recap and coffee to start the morning.

Yeah, it sure beats a recap of a crappy Spurs loss, and no coffee!!

[michaelwcho]

He would be silly not to. I trust that he will though. If he wants to get a stranglehold on this series he'll make some adjustments as needed. Everyone is waiting to see how the Hornets will counter after a loss. Scott will tweak the gameplan and the players will play accordingly.

This will be a good test for him. Giving shooters open shots doesn't really show much coaching skill, but a successful adjustment right now would. I'm not sure what you think he can do, though?

[MoSpur]

I liked Thomas' defense on West. West was good last night, but there were times where Thomas played him good.

[boutons_]

I'm all for Brent getting more minutes, but if had he got ALL of Michael's minutes in Game3, would Brent have taken 9 shots? :)

Brent's passing is great, as long as he doesn't pass up the open shot.

You're ready, Brent, shoot, don't pass.

[loveforthegame]

Great recap.

Parker and Ginobli need to attack like they did in game 3. The Hornets have no answer for that.

Duncan looked much better. He was passing out of the double teams quicker and made stronger moves to the basket.

Finley's offense off the bench was sorely needed. We need him to do that if Ginobli continues to start.

Thomas continues to impress me with his defense. He's done a wonderful job of keeping West in front of him.

Can the Oberto who showed up in game 3 make more appearances please?

[leaguecityspur]

People keep saying SA shot the ball so great and that they can't keep that pace...but NO had the better FG percentage! The Hornets were a hair over 49%. That is not typical Spurs defense.

[phxspurfan]

At one point, ESPN cameras showed Tony Parker dribbling downcourt after one of Paul's baskets. He couldn't help but to shake his head is disbelief. CP3 is amazing.

I saw that moment too. I actually thought Tony was shaking his head at Paul's sh*t talking, but I probably just wanted to see that...

[xtremesteven33]

im really impressed with this victory by the spurs cause they beat them convincingly without playing thier best basketball. they turnedover the ball a bit much and didnt get as many defensive rebounds but they still pulled it out. The Hornets on the other hand played tremendous for 45 minutes. Chris Paul, ill say it again, is Michael Jordan incarnate! he has that killer mentality, and the skills to go along with it. he played an INCREDIBLE game and still lost. I think this is the game the spurs have figured them out to be honest with you. i saw 2 things that made me think this way. when i saw duncan steal that potential alleyoop to chandeler i said to myself "he finally saw that coming" and also when Ginobili found ways to get to the basket. the Hornets offense totally revolves around Chris Paul and the spurs have found a way to limit the offensive flow of this team.

If game 4 ends the same way. then i am sure the spurs have finally figured out the puzzle that is the New Orleans Cornnuts..i mean Hornets.

[pad300]

It is interesting to me that the defensive alignment doesn't really seem to be making that much of a difference - Pts Against have been 101, 102, and 99. The real key to winning appears to be getting the offense going. If we hit open perimeter shots, we win. If we don't, we loose. Look at our FG% and 3Pt% for the games so far (.483, .440, game 3) this game, vs. (.425, 0.296, game 2) and (.408, .387, game 1). There was only one game in the season series where we won w/o good (>0.400) three pt shooting - Nov. 9, we only shot 4/15 from 3, but shot 40/77 overall; in that one, the Hornets had a bad shooting night, hitting 35/81 (incl 4/15 from 3).

[SpurYank]

Hey Pooh, check the World Series of 1960. Yeah, the Mazerowski home run off Ralph Terry in the bottom of the ninth, seventh game, series. The Yankees scored 55 runs to the Pirates 27 in the 7 games. The Pirates won the series. Whether the Spurs lose by 20 or 1, it's a loss. Pop also usually sits his players down.

[1Parker1]

I'm still not overly impressed with Duncan. Spurs aren't going to win this series with him average 12 ppg. And I don't know how often Parker and Ginobili can continue to score 60+ points combined.

I didn't think the defense was too impressive until the 4th quarter either. Spurs showed heart, and made the right adjustments, which is all we can ask for. Game 4 is going to be even harder. You could definitely see NO inexperience in the final 6 or 7 minutes when the Spurs went up 10-13 points and executed their game plan.

[Harry Callahan]

I did not get to see the entire game from last night yet (I TVoed it), but am I wrong in saying that Paul is allowed at times to carry the ball and get away with traveling?

A couple of those circus shots looked like missed turnovers.

Parker is always getting called for traveling, but not so much with Paul.

CP literally took three full steps to the basket on one of the highlight shots last night. In game two CP had a blatent carry of the basketball while going to the hole.

What do you guys think? Am I missing something here.

[boutons_]

Paul's 60% looks exceptional, but he's a 50% FG career. West is 48%.

[wildbill2u]

I wouldn't be so quick to make that assessment. Chris Paul could very well go on a scoring display again. The Spurs can't stop him so why not?! Chris Paul is a Greek God, yall betta recognize, lol.

Seriously though, I think it was a little fatigue that made him miss those shots. He probably burned himself out a little from trying to do too much throughout this game that is caught up with him in the final stretch of the 4th. It's all good though, I'm confident the Hornets will prevail in the end.

I'm not saying Paul isn't a good shot and tremendous talent--but nobody shoots 60% for a series unless they are all dunks like Chandler.

It really comes down to which of each team's big three--Duncan, Ginobili, Parker vs. Paul, West, Peja--gets an advantage plus the contributions of the role and bench players.

If one or more of either team's Big Three has a bad game for whatever reason--illness, foul-trouble, shut out by defense--then their team probably loses.

[Southwest Texas Fan]

I really don't see it as a blow out, considering that Hornets blew the Spurs out of the gym in games 1 and 2 and they barely won by 11 points.

You are delusional. The game was close but the way the Spurs handled the third quarter was instrumental. I saw frustration on both the Hornets faces and Coach Scott. Its just one game but it's a start. The Spurs played solid defense and made better decisions. In the closing minutes the Hornets seemed to implode, a little, and Thomas seems to be figuring out West. This was a solid win.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

People are missing the point though. We can beat New Orleans with Paul going for 35 a game.

We can't beat them with him getting 35, Peja 25, West 20, MoPete, 10, etc.

That's why Pop waking the hell up and moving Bowen over to Peja to take him out of the series is so big.

Take a look at the series so far:

Game 1, Spurs lose by 19, Peja goes for 22, Peterson goes for 8.
Game 2, Spurs lose by 18, Peja goes for 25, Peterson goes for 12.
Game 3, Spurs win by 11, Peja goes for 8, Peterson goes for 3.

Take away Peja and Peterson going off in games 1 and 2 due to Pop's bonehead move of Bowen on Paul (and the resulting Parker on Peterson and Finley on Peja matchups), and it's conceivable the Spurs would have won one of those two games in New Orleans.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

You are delusional. The game was close but the way the Spurs handled the third quarter was instrumental. I saw frustration on both the Hornets faces and Coach Scott. Its just one game but it's a start. The Spurs played solid defense and made better decisions. In the closing minutes the Hornets seemed to implode, a little, and Thomas seems to be figuring out West. This was a solid win.

The best thing you can do is ignore pooh. He just comes around to start shit because his Pacers suck donkey balls.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'm just hoping that letting Paul completley go won't come back to bite us in a close game because he is so freakin hot. Like I said I wouldn't change a thing from last nights gameplan. I thought it worked out great. I just would like to maybe see us at least slow him down a little. That one move he faked Duncan on was freakin sick.

Paul was so hot that he missed 4 of his last 6 shots in the fourth last night...

We'll be okay. Remember, we let Amare get 40 a game against us a couple of years ago and smoked Phoenix in the playoffs.

[jman3000]

i concur with letting paul get his.

taking away arguably his strongest asset, his playmaking ability, and turning him into a scorer is a great idea. he's gonne get 7-12 dimes no matter what due to the fact he handles the ball so much for them, but if you can limit those games in which he has 15,16,17 assists then you're looking pretty good.

even though peja can still hit a 3 with bowen in his face, it's a 30% shot as opposed to a 50-60% one. keeping them under 6 made 3's a game would be a huge step forward in taking over this series seeing as how they have quality guys who can hit them at a good clip.

[dbreiden83080]

Timmy is feeling better and starting to figure out how to attack this defense. The longer this goes the better he is going to play.

[SpursDynasty]

Great game by the Spurs but honestly I wasn't surprised with the W. We just beat a team we were supposed to beat. In fact we should be up 3-0 right now. We've led at halftime in Game 1 and 2, won Game 3 by 11 points. We're in good shape. Bowen on Peja = series victory.

[nfg3]

Great recap as usual.

Same game plan for 4 as was in 3. Bowen on Peja is the key. Let the Hornets adjust to the Spurs for a change.

Paul is amazing! As well as TP and Manu. That was a joy to watch last night. Absolutely a great game!

Several have wondered about the Spurs ability to contain this type of play. Admittedly the Hornets are by far the younger team I believe that the extra rest during the playoffs will be beneficial. Spurs playoff/championship experience needs to be a factor and will be when we get the next one at home.

Hornets are young team and Paul admitted to straying from the game plan in game 3 when the pressure was on. Shots in games 5 - 7 get a lot more difficult to make.

Spurs must take game 4 to make this possible.

I believe.

:flag: :lobt:

[boutons_]

So expect to see Byron to adjust and run Peja off/behind many screens, both dribble and catch-and-shoot.

[ShoogarBear]

Paul's 60% looks exceptional, but he's a 50% FG career. West is 48%.

CP's career FG% is .456, boosted by shooting .488 this year.

[T Park]

So expect to see Byron to adjust and run Peja off/behind many screens, both dribble and catch-and-shoot.

Thats fine, Bowen will adjust.
Bowen won't allow Peja nothing.

[florige]

So expect to see Byron to adjust and run Peja off/behind many screens, both dribble and catch-and-shoot.


I can live with Peja forcing up contested 3's if NO's is that desperate to get him involved. It's better than Paul breaking down the entire defense and either Manu, or Finley bites in the lane and he ends up shooting a wide open 3. Those were absolute daggers in the first 2 games. Then you have that scrub Mo Pete looking like Manu just because he has inches on Parker. The first two games the matchups were awful. And we still led after halftime in both games. Now when we were steady getting spanked by LA, those games were never even close. No matter what we did we had no answer for Shaq and Kobe. Those games were dominated from start to finish. These two losses we had chances to win.

[florige]

If Bowen can stay with Rip how can run around for days I highly doubt he will have a problem going staying with Peja, running around; Peja doesn't have the endurance of Rip, or the lateral quickness.


Plus Peja looks to be more of a spot shooter now. Running him off screens doesn;t look to be a strong part of his shooting.

[DazedAndConfused]

I don't think Scott will change much of anything in his gameplan. The Hornets are still getting very high percentage looks and they are forcing the Spurs to hit their jumpshots. He's playing a percentage game right now and he's winning.

[DazedAndConfused]

I can live with Peja forcing up contested 3's if NO's is that desperate to get him involved. It's better than Paul breaking down the entire defense and either Manu, or Finley bites in the lane and he ends up shooting a wide open 3. Those were absolute daggers in the first 2 games. Then you have that scrub Mo Pete looking like Manu just because he has inches on Parker. The first two games the matchups were awful. And we still led after halftime in both games. Now when we were steady getting spanked by LA, those games were never even close. No matter what we did we had no answer for Shaq and Kobe. Those games were dominated from start to finish. These two losses we had chances to win.

The Hornets are very much a 2nd half team. Rarely have I seen them come out firing at the start. Even DAL managed to hang with them for the 1st half in most of those games. It's all about sustaining energy for 48 minutes, which is what the Spurs did in Game 3 and that's why they won.

[florige]

The Hornets are very much a 2nd half team. Rarely have I seen them come out firing at the start. Even DAL managed to hang with them for the 1st half in most of those games. It's all about sustaining energy for 48 minutes, which is what the Spurs did in Game 3 and that's why they won.


I just hope that it eventually backfires on him for leaving our shooters wideass open all the time. Hopefully we will catch fire and force him to change his strategy.

[ManuTastic]

Did you see West pounding on the scorer's table in the 4th? Dude was losing it.
The young Hornets have to be thinking "We got a monster game out of Paul, a good game out of West... and they still won big." And the more Tony slices down the lane and all those outside shots keep falling, the more they'll panic and forget about focusing on Duncan, which lets Tim loose on the inside. I like it, I like it! Pop for Prez!

[101A]

I just hope that it eventually backfires on him for leaving our shooters wideass open all the time. Hopefully we will catch fire and force him to change his strategy.

Hell, catching fire could just mean one easy win in the series. That'd be nice.

[polandprzem]

Spurs gave all they got and won the extreamly intense game.

That's why I love the spurs - for their heart desire team play, precise. They can't do it every game so I always feel pride when they leave all on the floor.

Where was the effort and adjustments the previous game?
The first two loses could be too much for the spurs.

Hornets looks like they can do anything and they are scoring so easily it's insaine.
Spurs throw everything out there and still NO was in the game :wow

Ginobili played as good as he could. That was the night where he was forceing his body to do more then it's written in dictionary. It was out of the planet Earth showing.
TP had his personal fight with Paul. It was fantastic to watch.
Paul reminds me of smaller version and better passing version of Wade AD 2006. He can shoot he can slash and he can create. Amazing guy. And yes he is pissing me off with his acting and trashtalking, ohh well.

Duncan played good game. One thing the spurs wanted to do is to make Tim pass as soon as double team comes. Plus Oberto did a nice job with his passing to the middle in the traffic and in motion, one of the most effective plays if done correctly.

Still I did not wanted manu to start the game (0-8) but it worked at some point. Well in the point where he and TP were sharing the PG position. So Pop decided to go "vs Detroit 2005" kinda rotation.
How long can spurs keep that intensity with that adjustments?

All in all Scott will have to figure the spurs out. Either he will stay and belive that the surs just can't shoot as good as they are and he will concentrate on offense - how to free Peja and Bonzi.
That passion that desire was what I wanted from the spurs and I got it. And I don't mind spurs losing when they are playing maximum.

[ducks]

how is putting tp on him worse then putting bowen on him
tp did as good job as bowen did on paul

saying you will concide and let paul get his is crazy
because tp does a better job on paul then bowen

[boutons_]

Shug, thanks.

But Paul is shooting FG 52% for the playoffs

So Paul was exceptional in Game3 with FG 60%.

[T Park]

I don't think Scott will change much of anything in his gameplan. The Hornets are still getting very high percentage looks and they are forcing the Spurs to hit their jumpshots. He's playing a percentage game right now and he's winning.


Hes gonna lose that.

All the shooters he leaves open are clutch good shooters.

Keep it up shortbus you continue to look like a retard.

[DazedAndConfused]

Spurs gave all they got and won the extreamly intense game.

That's why I love the spurs - for their heart desire team play, precise. They can't do it every game so I always feel pride when they leave all on the floor.

Where was the effort and adjustments the previous game?
The first two loses could be too much for the spurs.

Hornets looks like they can do anything and they are scoring so easily it's insaine.
Spurs throw everything out there and still NO was in the game :wow

Ginobili played as good as he could. That was the night where he was forceing his body to do more then it's written in dictionary. It was out of the planet Earth showing.
TP had his personal fight with Paul. It was fantastic to watch.
Paul reminds me of smaller version and better passing version of Wade AD 2006. He can shoot he can slash and he can create. Amazing guy. And yes he is pissing me off with his acting and trashtalking, ohh well.

Duncan played good game. One thing the spurs wanted to do is to make Tim pass as soon as double team comes. Plus Oberto did a nice job with his passing to the middle in the traffic and in motion, one of the most effective plays if done correctly.

Still I did not wanted manu to start the game (0-8) but it worked at some point. Well in the point where he and TP were sharing the PG position. So Pop decided to go "vs Detroit 2005" kinda rotation.
How long can spurs keep that intensity with that adjustments?

All in all Scott will have to figure the spurs out. Either he will stay and belive that the surs just can't shoot as good as they are and he will concentrate on offense - how to free Peja and Bonzi.
That passion that desire was what I wanted from the spurs and I got it. And I don't mind spurs losing when they are playing maximum.

That was the smartest post in this thread. So many people are focusing on the Peja-Bowen matchup as the key to victory, but it really wasn't the deciding factor. The Spurs won on pure heart, desire, and effort.

What has to worry Spurs fans is that NOH was still able to hang with the Spurs for almost the entire game. Can the Spurs bring that kind of energy and intensity for the rest of the series and can Pop afford to use that short of a rotation? It's going to catch up with them at some point, they are just too old. NOH, OTOH, can play a so-so game and still have a shot at beating the Spurs. This is their series to lose.

[T Park]

That was the smartest post in this thread. So many people are focusing on the Peja-Bowen matchup as the key to victory, but it really wasn't the deciding factor. The Spurs won on pure heart, desire, and effort.

What has to worry Spurs fans is that NOH was still able to hang with the Spurs for almost the entire game. Can the Spurs bring that kind of energy and intensity for the rest of the series and can Pop afford to use that short of a rotation? It's going to catch up with them at some point, they are just too old. NOH, OTOH, can play a so-so game and still have a shot at beating the Spurs. This is their series to lose.



Yes a player that had had 22 and 29 cutting him down to 8 points had no effect what so ever.

GENIUS!!!! :tu

[Cry Havoc]

What has to worry NO fans is that Duncan had a career-worst game in game 1 with 5 and 3, and it was still a very close game much of the way.

You know, I'm agreeing more and more with your takes.

This feels like a series where the Hornets will have to pick their poison with matchups. Either Duncan destroys the paint, or Manu and Parker are free to do whatever they feel like. Either way, you take a risk if you're coaching the Hornets.

Meanwhile, aside from West and Paul, who's going to score consistently against the Spurs now that Bowen is chopping off their second/3rd option?

[polandprzem]

Yes a player that had had 22 and 29 cutting him down to 8 points had no effect what so ever.

GENIUS!!!! :tu
If Scott will decide to go with Peja of the screens Bowen won't as effective as he was in G3.
More then matchups is the way you play and what you bring to the table.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

pooh, it's been a couple of years, but you're still as clueless as ever. Stick to writing books that no one buys.



fixed.







If Pooh writes a book in the forest, and no one chooses to read it, does the book actually exist?




Question.


:cooldevil

[polandprzem]

Meanwhile, aside from West and Paul, who's going to score consistently against the Spurs now that Bowen is chopping off their second/3rd option?

They don't need consistant enforcer.
All they want is somebody to explode. Like Bonzi or Pargo (also Mo Pete, Wright).
Paul and West will do their stuff but, unpredictable performance can kill any team.

[ShoogarBear]

If Pooh writes a book in the forest, and no one chooses to read it, does the book actually exist?




Question.


:cooldevil

Would a tree even need to fall to make the paper?

[polandprzem]

Would a tree even need to fall to make the paper?

:nerd


no

[DazedAndConfused]

They don't need consistant enforcer.
All they want is somebody to explode. Like Bonzi or Pargo (also Mo Pete, Wright).
Paul and West will do their stuff but, unpredictable performance can kill any team.

Are you sure you're a Spurs fan? You are making way too much sense.

The odds of Mo Pete, Peja, Bonzi, and Pargo having cold games are actually pretty low. They are all streaky sort of players and if one or two of them gets hot alongside West and CP3 then the Hornets are very tough to beat. The Spurs scoring 110 pts is not going to keep up for the rest of the series.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Are you sure you're a Spurs fan? You are making way too much sense.

The odds of Mo Pete, Peja, Bonzi, and Pargo having cold games are actually pretty low. They are all streaky sort of players and if one or two of them gets hot alongside West and CP3 then the Hornets are very tough to beat. The Spurs scoring 110 pts is not going to keep up for the rest of the series.

A little bit of wishful thinking there... and I think 110 pts are more than enough to beat the hornets if you are the Spurs.

[td4mvp21]

A little bit of wishful thinking there... and I think 110 pts are more than enough to beat the hornets if you are the Spurs.

He's a Spurs hater dude, all his posts are about what the Spurs are doing wrong or how they won't keep up what they're doing. He said the same shit in the Suns series.

[rAm]

That was the smartest post in this thread. So many people are focusing on the Peja-Bowen matchup as the key to victory, but it really wasn't the deciding factor. The Spurs won on pure heart, desire, and effort.

What has to worry Spurs fans is that NOH was still able to hang with the Spurs for almost the entire game. Can the Spurs bring that kind of energy and intensity for the rest of the series and can Pop afford to use that short of a rotation? It's going to catch up with them at some point, they are just too old. NOH, OTOH, can play a so-so game and still have a shot at beating the Spurs. This is their series to lose.

The Spurs weren't 100% in game 3, especially not in games 1 and 2. They have dug themselves into a hole because of all of the sickness/injuries, and they ran into a team that matches up very well and is on a roll.

Spurs have overcome teams like this before, but never from 0-2 down. That is what worries me, and give adage to the saying that you have to be very lucky to win a championship.

Especially Back-to-Back.

[Cry Havoc]

Are you sure you're a Spurs fan? You are making way too much sense.

The odds of Mo Pete, Peja, Bonzi, and Pargo having cold games are actually pretty low. They are all streaky sort of players and if one or two of them gets hot alongside West and CP3 then the Hornets are very tough to beat. The Spurs scoring 110 pts is not going to keep up for the rest of the series.

This would make sense if you have never watched the Spurs play, so I'm not surprised that you're using this kind of logic.

[DazedAndConfused]

I'm not a Spur's hater. Trust me the best thing for the Lakers is if this series goes the distance, not if it ends 4-5.

I just don't think the Spurs did enough in their win to show me they can beat NOH 3 more times. They didn't stop NOH from getting easy shots, they pretty much won this game on the offensive end (110 pts is well above their average). It was a desperation win, plain and simple. Eerily similar to DAL's win in Game 3.

[polandprzem]

This would make sense if you have never watched the Spurs play, so I'm not surprised that you're using this kind of logic.

So, if Bonzi goeas off like he had a history against the spurs who the spurs will cover him with?
Ginobili?

If you want to use Udoka youve got a small ball lineup with TP,MG,IU,BB,TD

Good luck with covering Chandler and West with TD and Manu (Bowen on Peja).

Is that illogical logic?

I assume you assume that the spurs can contain everybody from 1 to 10 no matter their day shape.

[SpursDynasty]

I'm really sick of this fake New Orleans team. I hate them and their lucky fake shots.

[timvp]

If Scott will decide to go with Peja of the screens Bowen won't as effective as he was in G3.I'm hoping Byron Scott's adjustment is running Peja off screens against Bowen. That'd work out nicely for the Spurs. That's what the Kings always did and it rarely worked as long as Bowen was on him.

The Spurs have been pretty hopeless against Paul and West. I'd much rather have the Hornets forcing it to Peja off screens. Any possession where a Hornet not named Paul or West shoots a contested shot is a successful possession.

The Hornets might have some success with Bonzi and Peja taking Ginobili and Bowen to the low block ... but then again, probably not as much success as they can have in the pick-and-roll with Paul and isolation for West.

[K-State Spur]

Are you sure you're a Spurs fan? You are making way too much sense.

The odds of Mo Pete, Peja, Bonzi, and Pargo having cold games are actually pretty low. They are all streaky sort of players and if one or two of them gets hot alongside West and CP3 then the Hornets are very tough to beat. The Spurs scoring 110 pts is not going to keep up for the rest of the series.

Bowen has always owned Peja. Mo Pete/Bonzi/Pargo are all average to below average players.

The odds of them getting shut down again are much higher than the odds of Peterson repeating his game 2 performance or Wells matching his game 1 numbers.

[K-State Spur]

So, if Bonzi goeas off like he had a history against the spurs who the spurs will cover him with?
Ginobili?


2006 Bonzi >>>>>> 2008 Bonzi

Game 1 is about as well as Bonzi is capable of playing against this team, and even that was just 10 points/4 boards on 55% from the floor.

Bonzi is not the beast on the boards that he was 2 years ago - and the Spurs are a better defensive rebounding team than they were then. You keep him off of the offensive glass - thus taking away his put-backs - then you have severely negated what he can do to hurt you.

It's no coincidence that with just 1 offensive rebound, he's shooting 39% in this series. In the last 2 games, he has 0 offensive rebounds and his shooting 28%.

[polandprzem]

2006 Bonzi >>>>>> 2008 Bonzi

Game 1 is about as well as Bonzi is capable of playing against this team, and even that was just 10 points/4 boards on 55% from the floor.

Bonzi is not the beast on the boards that he was 2 years ago - and the Spurs are a better defensive rebounding team than they were then. You keep him off of the offensive glass - thus taking away his put-backs - then you have severely negated what he can do to hurt you.

It's no coincidence that with just 1 offensive rebound, he's shooting 39% in this series. In the last 2 games, he has 0 offensive rebounds and his shooting 28%.

It's good he is down isn't it?

He do not even need to be great all game. He can provide a punch in one decisive quarter.
Sometimes unexpected performances occures.
Who of you did not want Barry to hit 4 treys to give much needed oxygen to the spurs bench? Are the Hornets aware of Barry?
Not much, he either hit treys in garbage or did not play when the spurs won the game.

As for Bowen off screens. Well timvp you once said that TP is better then Bruce defending the guy who is involved with screen play.

I would love to see Bowen be as good playing Peja on screen plays then plaing him straight up.

[K-State Spur]

It's good he is down isn't it?

He do not even need to be great all game. He can provide a punch in one decisive quarter.
Sometimes unexpected performances occures.
Who of you did not want Barry to hit 4 treys to give much needed oxygen to the spurs bench? Are the Hornets aware of Barry?
Not much, he either hit treys in garbage or did not play when the spurs won the game.

It's the difference between performances that are unlikely vs. performances that are unlikely.

Yes, it's possible that Bonzi could go off for 30 points or 10 in a quarter. It's also possible that Finley can go for 25 or Horry can own the 4th quarter as he has in the past.

But none of those things should be expected. And most Spurs fans are not banking on big performances from any of our guys that don't typically give one.

[polandprzem]

It's the difference between performances that are unlikely vs. performances that are unlikely.

Yes, it's possible that Bonzi could go off for 30 points or 10 in a quarter. It's also possible that Finley can go for 25 or Horry can own the 4th quarter as he has in the past.

But none of those things should be expected. And most Spurs fans are not banking on big performances from any of our guys that don't typically give one.

Yup, and I'm wondering who gave us an offensive punch lately (other then big3)

And yes, I would rather see them play Peja more then constantly breaking our D with p&r , Paul and West.

[Vinnie_Johnson]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Besides winning titles, there's another reason Tony Parker loves playing in the NBA.

The San Antonio point guard thrives on a good 1-on-1 matchup, such as the one he's got going with New Orleans' Chris Paul in the Western Conference semifinals.

"It's great fun, great matchup, a great challenge for me. So I'm having a lot of fun," Parker said Saturday. "It's always good when you play against the best players. That's why you want to play in the NBA, to play against the best."

Parker certainly has that in Paul, and Paul in Parker.

The two point guards matched each other almost point-for-point, assist-for-assist in Game 3 of the series on Thursday, and figure to do so again in Game 4 on Sunday.

The Hornets have a 2-1 lead and the Spurs want to even things up before returning to New Orleans for Game 5.

Parker, who turns 26 on May 17, racked up 31 points and 11 assists in the Spurs' Game 3 win. Paul, who turned 23 on Tuesday, had 35 points and nine assists.

"They're both very good basketball players," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "They're both very unselfish. They both have the ability to score, at the same time use their teammates, to help their teammates to score."

Hornets coach Byron Scott agrees, and sees a few differences.

"I think Chris Paul is a true point guard. When I say true point guard, he's a pass-first type point guard. I think Tony Parker is more of a scoring point guard," Scott said. "I think both of them are extremely quick. CP shoots it a little bit better, Tony's probably a better finisher. But they're both very good at what they do."

The numbers these playoffs seem to bear out Scott's opinion. Parker has the slight edge on scoring so far in the first two rounds, 26.6 points to Paul's 25.6. Paul has 11.8 assists per game to 6.8 from Parker.

"They are kind of similar. I think that Chris Paul is getting really good getting to the paint and finding the open teammate," the Spurs' Manu Ginobili said after Game 3. "I think Tony plays faster. He's deadly in transition. So I think Paul uses more of the pick-and-roll and is getting very smart and very used to that kind of system with those teammates. ... They are two of the most impressive point guards in the league for sure."

Paul was runner-up for MVP this season as he led the Hornets to the Southwest Division title and No. 2 seed (they finished with the same record as the third-seeded Spurs but won the tiebreaker) after not even making the postseason last year.

Parker was voted the MVP of last year's NBA finals after leading the Spurs to a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Both of them are unbelievable players," the Hornets' Peja Stojakovic said. "(Paul) led us to the second round and he is a true leader. And Tony also, Tony, his results speak for (themselves). ... It's a great battle."

In Game 3, Ginobili and Parker -- who often sticks his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he drives to the basket -- got to the rim consistently. Paul said the Hornets don't want to let that happen again.

"They shot a lot of layups. Him and Manu had 62 points, probably more than half of them was layups," Paul said. "So we just got to control the paint like we did in the first two games and we'll be fine."

Paul had the shot of the night Thursday. In the third quarter he spun around, his back to the basket, then he flipped up the ball, sinking the shot and getting fouled in the process.

Controlling Paul has been a challenge for the Spurs, who acknowledge that the third-year star will probably score no matter what they try on him. In Game 3, the Spurs switched top defender Bruce Bowen from Paul to Stojakovic, who was largely shut down and scored only eight points.

"We're going to try to still take care of the role players" in Game 4, Ginobili said. "But at the same time try to bring Paul and (David) West a little down, too."

Whether the Spurs can stop Paul is anybody's guess. But Parker isn't planning to change his game Sunday.

"I just think for me to help my team I just have to be aggressive," he said. "I have to try to do both, score and pass the ball. So I don't really look at it like I have to match him. I'm just trying to do whatever I can to help my team win."