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NBA: Popovich's lineup switch pays off again
Mike Monroe
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich turned around the Spurs’ fortunes in Game 3 of their Wesern Conference semifinals series against the New Orleans Hornets by reinserting an Argentine into his starting lineup.
He now is 2 for 2 with reinstated Argentine starters.
Fabricio Oberto, a teammate of Manu Ginobili’s on the defending Olympic champion Argentine national team, on Thursday replaced Kurt Thomas, who had started at center in the first five games.
Oberto did his typical journeyman job on the boards, grabbing four rebounds in 18 minutes and 32 seconds, but he turned into a setup man in the first half, tallying four assists.
Popovich went with Oberto to start and made Robert Horry his first big man off the bench for Game 6 because of their experience in the Spurs’ systems.
“It wasn’t anything different, but experience was important tonight to have a group on the court who knew everything that might go on in situations. Fab and Timmy were great; Horry has that experience and is in better shape, and we can use him a lot more now, and it showed tonight.”
Oberto said his passing skills were Thursday were a natural result of how the Hornets were defending Duncan.
“Sometimes,” Oberto said, “when they focus so much their defense on stopping Tim, I always try to find a spot and help th eteam with those plays.”
West reinjures back: Hornets All-Star power forward David West said he is confident he will play in Game 7 on Monday after reinjuring his back.
West, who suffered a pinched nerve in his back in Game 5, crumpled to the court in pain after he ran into a pick set by Horry early in the fourth period. Horry was whistled for a personal foul on the play, which forced West from the game.
“I’ll play,” West said. “It’s a little tight, a little sore. But the good thing is we have a few days before Game 7, and we’ve got the best medical treatment available.”
Said Hornets guard Chris Paul of West, “He’s a fighter. He will get back to it, and we have about a week until we play.”
West wouldn’t say whether he thought Horry was trying to hurt him.
“I haven’t seen it (film of the play),” West said. “I’ll wait until I see it. I don’t know if it was a blind screen or whatever, but I just took a good shot in the back.”
Said Hornets coach Byron Scott, “He took a good shot in the back. It’s a good thing Game 7 is on Monday. It gives him a good chance to get well.”
After blistering the Spurs for 38 points in the Hornets’ 101-79 victory in Game 5, West managed only 10 on 4-of-14 shooting Thursday.
Game 7 history: The last time the Spurs played a Game 7 on the road was in 1990, when they lost 108-105 to Portland in two overtimes in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Spurs have played in two Game 7s since, beating Detroit 81-74 in the 2005 NBA Finals and losing 119-111 in overtime to Dallas in the 2006 Western Conference finals.
The Spurs are 2-6 all-time in Game 7s.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Before Game 1 in New Orleans, Scott tried to inspire his players by showing them the championship rings he won when he played for the Lakers.
Before Game 6 he visited the trophy case at the AT&T Center where the Spurs’ four Larry O’Brien trophies are displayed.
The Spurs, he said, are the team of the decade.
"Since I’ve been here, that was the one team I looked at,” he said, “the one organization that I looked and said, ‘This is what we’re trying to emulate and trying to get to.’
“Every year you try to get closer and closer, obviously, and so, yeah, I admire what Pop has done with this team and the way Tim Duncan is, on and off the court, and the other pieces that they’ve brought in here to complement those guys and to develop a championship type team and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Staff Writer Tom Orsborn contributed to this report
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