duncan228
05-11-2008, 04:30 PM
http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/18840154.html?showAll=y&c=y
Hornets try to adjust against Spurs tonight
By LES EAST
NEW ORLEANS — Much has changed since the Hornets left New Orleans with a 2-0 lead over the Spurs in their Western Conference semifinal series.
Manu Ginobili moved into San Antonio’s starting lineup, and Tony Parker started guarding Chris Paul, enabling Bruce Bowen to guard Peja Stojakovic.
All three changes paid off for the Spurs in their 110-99 victory in Game 3. They’ll try to pull even when Game 4 is played at 7 p.m. today (TNT) in San Antonio.
The Spurs replaced Michael Finley with Ginobili, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, to get an offensive boost; he scored 31 points.
They conceded that Paul was going to continue his high-scoring pace, which he did by scoring 35, but they tried to slow down his counterparts, particularly Stojakovic, who had averaged 23.5 in the first two games.
Bowen harassed Stojakovic, limiting him to seven shots (he made just two, 1-of-3 on 3-pointers) and just eight points.
“We talked about the possibility of them putting Bowen on me before the game,” Stojakovic said, “because they tried to stop Paul (in the first two games) and they didn’t have any answers. We didn’t have good ball movement in Game 3, and they were able to take some things away.”
They also took away shooting guard Morris Peterson, who had scored 12 on 5-for-5 shooting in Game 2 but who had just three points on 1-of-3 shooting in Game 3.
“Peja and Mo understand the game, and when they had the looks, they knocked them down,” Paul said. “We have to find a way to get them involved.”
The Spurs seem willing to take Paul’s best shot as long as they can do a better job against the complementary players.
“Chris is going to score regardless,” Parker said. “He’s got the ball in his hands every single time. Every single play it’s Chris Paul.
So we decided to put Bruce on Peja and at least hold somebody down, because Peja was killing us.”
The Hornets will try to do a better job of freeing Stojakovic after they made just 2-of-11 3-pointers and the Spurs made 11-of-25.
“We have to do a better job of setting screens to get (Stojakovic) open,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “But the main thing we have to do is keep them out of the paint. For us to win this series it is going to come down to keeping Parker and Ginobili in front of us. We can’t allow them to combine for 62 points.”
Paul had nine assists after averaging 12.5 in the first two games, and Parker essentially neutralized him by getting 31 points and 12 assists.
“He’s in that category where you’re not going to stop him,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Paul.
This series has mirrored the Hornets’ first-round victory over Dallas. In both series, New Orleans used big second halves to win the first two games decisively at home, then lost Game 3 on the road. The Hornets won Game 4 in Dallas, so they hope the pattern continues.
“It’s almost scary how similar it is,” Hornets center Tyson Chandler said.
But coach Byron Scott added a word of caution — “This is a totally different animal than Dallas.”
The Hornets jumped to an 8-0 lead in Game 3 on Thursday, held a two-point lead at halftime, and were still leading by three midway through the third before the Spurs broke it open, much as New Orleans had done at home.
“I’m a little bit more disappointed now, because after Game 3 in the last series, you would think you would learn a little more,” Scott said. “You would think you’d be more ready and prepared. So I wasn’t very happy about it (then), and I wasn’t very happy about it when I was watching the tape.”
Hornets try to adjust against Spurs tonight
By LES EAST
NEW ORLEANS — Much has changed since the Hornets left New Orleans with a 2-0 lead over the Spurs in their Western Conference semifinal series.
Manu Ginobili moved into San Antonio’s starting lineup, and Tony Parker started guarding Chris Paul, enabling Bruce Bowen to guard Peja Stojakovic.
All three changes paid off for the Spurs in their 110-99 victory in Game 3. They’ll try to pull even when Game 4 is played at 7 p.m. today (TNT) in San Antonio.
The Spurs replaced Michael Finley with Ginobili, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, to get an offensive boost; he scored 31 points.
They conceded that Paul was going to continue his high-scoring pace, which he did by scoring 35, but they tried to slow down his counterparts, particularly Stojakovic, who had averaged 23.5 in the first two games.
Bowen harassed Stojakovic, limiting him to seven shots (he made just two, 1-of-3 on 3-pointers) and just eight points.
“We talked about the possibility of them putting Bowen on me before the game,” Stojakovic said, “because they tried to stop Paul (in the first two games) and they didn’t have any answers. We didn’t have good ball movement in Game 3, and they were able to take some things away.”
They also took away shooting guard Morris Peterson, who had scored 12 on 5-for-5 shooting in Game 2 but who had just three points on 1-of-3 shooting in Game 3.
“Peja and Mo understand the game, and when they had the looks, they knocked them down,” Paul said. “We have to find a way to get them involved.”
The Spurs seem willing to take Paul’s best shot as long as they can do a better job against the complementary players.
“Chris is going to score regardless,” Parker said. “He’s got the ball in his hands every single time. Every single play it’s Chris Paul.
So we decided to put Bruce on Peja and at least hold somebody down, because Peja was killing us.”
The Hornets will try to do a better job of freeing Stojakovic after they made just 2-of-11 3-pointers and the Spurs made 11-of-25.
“We have to do a better job of setting screens to get (Stojakovic) open,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “But the main thing we have to do is keep them out of the paint. For us to win this series it is going to come down to keeping Parker and Ginobili in front of us. We can’t allow them to combine for 62 points.”
Paul had nine assists after averaging 12.5 in the first two games, and Parker essentially neutralized him by getting 31 points and 12 assists.
“He’s in that category where you’re not going to stop him,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Paul.
This series has mirrored the Hornets’ first-round victory over Dallas. In both series, New Orleans used big second halves to win the first two games decisively at home, then lost Game 3 on the road. The Hornets won Game 4 in Dallas, so they hope the pattern continues.
“It’s almost scary how similar it is,” Hornets center Tyson Chandler said.
But coach Byron Scott added a word of caution — “This is a totally different animal than Dallas.”
The Hornets jumped to an 8-0 lead in Game 3 on Thursday, held a two-point lead at halftime, and were still leading by three midway through the third before the Spurs broke it open, much as New Orleans had done at home.
“I’m a little bit more disappointed now, because after Game 3 in the last series, you would think you would learn a little more,” Scott said. “You would think you’d be more ready and prepared. So I wasn’t very happy about it (then), and I wasn’t very happy about it when I was watching the tape.”