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No Game 7 for you es...
By Jeff McDonald
[email protected]
NEW ORLEANS — Given the nightmarish nights they have experienced here over the past week, you wouldn’t blame the Spurs if they never wanted to step foot in New Orleans Arena again.
At this point in the Western Conference semifinals, however, it beats the alternative.
David West turned in the playoff game of his life Tuesday night, scoring 38 points and grabbing 14 rebounds as New Orleans struck a crushing blow in a pivotal Game 5, winning 101-79 to take a 3-2 series lead and push the Spurs to the edge of elimination.
“Now we are in a really tough situation,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said.
The home team has won every game of this series, and handily. That could be considered good news for the Spurs, who are headed back to the AT&T Center for Game 6 on Thursday.
It also makes for good news for the Hornets, who will get a potential Game 7 at home, where they have yet to lose this postseason and where they have beaten the Spurs by an average of 19.7 points
The Hornets, for their part, would prefer it not come to that.
“We’ve got to go to San Antonio with the mind-set to close it out,” said New Orleans guard Chris Paul, who finished with 22 points and 14 assists.
West was the mailcarrier for the Hornets, despite playing with a stiff back. He set a postseason high in scoring, eclipsing his previous mark of 30 set in Game 1 against the Spurs, while also establishing career playoff marks in rebounds, assists (five) and blocked shots (five).
He kept the Hornets afloat early, scoring 22 points in the first half to help New Orleans weather a rough first half for everyone not named David West.
West made 10 of 14 field goals in the first half. The rest of the Hornets were 5 of 23. And yet they trailed by three, 47-44.
“He carried us,” New Orleans coach Byron Scott said.
Ginobili had 20 points, and Tony Parker scored 18 for the Spurs but, unlike in Spurs victories in Games 3 and 4, both had trouble getting to the paint.
Tim Duncan, plagued not by flu-like symptoms but by the Hornets’ swarming defense, had 10 points and missed 13 of 18 field goal attempts. Duncan, however, was a monster on the boards, grabbing 23 rebounds, a season-high.
For the third time in New Orleans, the Spurs led at halftime. For the third time, the Hornets overwhelmed them in the third quarter to pull away.
The Spurs were doomed by a scoreless stretch of 4:49 in the third quarter, during which New Orleans ran off 14 consecutive points. By the time the Spurs had broken their dry spell, they were in a 13-point hole from which they would unsuccessfully spend the rest of the night trying to emerge.
New Orleans outscored the Spurs 28-11 in the third quarter, and this has been a theme in this building. Counting Tuesday’s game, the Hornets won the third quarter in their three victories by a 93-46 margin.
“What upsets me — and I think the whole team — is that we made the same mistake again,” Ginobili said. “The third quarter, we were not ready. We stopped moving the ball, stopped attacking.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich would prefer to blame the Hornets for the third quarter. The Spurs shot 37.7 percent for the night, as New Orleans played its best defensive game of the series.
“Tonight, their defense was the reason why we had so many problems in the third quarter,” Popovich said.
The Spurs drew within 85-77 on Ime Udoka’s 3-pointer with 4:56 to go, but Paul answered with a drive on the other end, kick-starting a game-closing run that left the Spurs in the dust.
With 1:45 to go, Scott pulled West from the game, affording his All-Star forward a chance to rest and ice his balky back.
Neither cared much about history: At that point, West stood a single point from matching a franchise scoring high for the postseason.
“I’m just happy we had control of the game,” West said. “I was ready to sit down.”
West played nearly 44 minutes in pain for one obvious reason.
“No way we wanted to go back to San Antonio with them having the opportunity to close us out,” West said.
Now staring elimination in the face, the Spurs have the opposite goal. A return trip to New Orleans for Game 7 remains their best-case scenario.
No Game 7 for you es...
Hornets play nice D...
but Spurs can only manage 11 points in the 3rd?
They ain't that good.
No excuse for that really...
ing 3rd quarter collapse - AGAIN.
What good does it do to have shooters on the floor, if the ball doesn't rotate? Too many times Parker/Ginobili/Duncan either held the ball too long or either forced the issue into traffic, which either lead to an ill-advised shot or a stupid turnover.
Last edited by SenorSpur; 05-14-2008 at 09:01 AM.
Boy just a few hours ago, everyone here said the Hornets were done. Now another desive home victory and the Spurs are done?
Shame band wagoners, you never give up on your team, always hold out hope.
Even if there really is none this year.
Hornets in six, called it from the start.
That's awfully over confident in a team that just got decimated on the road.
We'll see. If the Hornets can close it out on the road in SA, more power to them, they deserve to win. But I for one would not bank on that, and not just 'cause I'm a Spurs fan. The Hornets haven't done anything to prove they can win in SA.
I predict a tight, tight game 7 in which the Spurs eke out a win.
Losing focus in the 3rd along with some foolish turnovers let the Hornets back in the game--and when they got ahead, they were the more poised team, not the defending champs.
I say, at the beginning of the 3d quarter, trot out a lineup of Vaughn, Stoudamire, Udoka, Horry, and Oberto.
How bad can they be? Could they be any worse than the starters?
Let them play a few minutes, then work the starters back in when they're "ready."
I agree we need more Vaughn. He can pester Paul as well. Too much Tony "trying" to penetrate, and too much standing waiting to shoot 3 pts. ALso too much Finley...
+1 for that statement. Just 24 hours ago, every Spurs fan was spewing something about how the Hornets are done, and it Spurs in 6. Fast forward 24 hours and they are all saying how ty their team is, and being all pissed off.
Note to Spurs fans:
You should really practice what you preach when it comes to your being fans of the Spurs. You call us Hornets fans bandwagon fans. HA HA HA. Look yourselves in the mirror before you spout that to us. Almost every post on here today is about how your team is done, and they are playing like , when yesterday they were the greatest thing since sliced bread.Keep talking your , and the Hornets will slowly but surely chop down the old tree that is the San Antonio Spurs. You'll all be
on Friday morning sfter the game Thursday night.
+1 for that statement. Just 24 hours ago, every Spurs fan was spewing something about how the Hornets are done, and it Spurs in 6. Fast forward 24 hours and they are all saying how ty their team is, and being all pissed off.
Note to Spurs fans:
You should really practice what you preach when it comes to your being fans of the Spurs. You call us Hornets fans bandwagon fans. HA HA HA. Look yourselves in the mirror before you spout that to us. Almost every post on here today is about how your team is done, and they are playing like , when yesterday they were the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Not every Spurs fan.
And the series ain't over.
You can go yourself... that's all I have to say to you.+1 for that statement. Just 24 hours ago, every Spurs fan was spewing something about how the Hornets are done, and it Spurs in 6. Fast forward 24 hours and they are all saying how ty their team is, and being all pissed off.
Note to Spurs fans:
You should really practice what you preach when it comes to your being fans of the Spurs. You call us Hornets fans bandwagon fans. HA HA HA. Look yourselves in the mirror before you spout that to us. Almost every post on here today is about how your team is done, and they are playing like , when yesterday they were the greatest thing since sliced bread.
No game 6 for you, and next year you won't make it out of the first round (again).
i dont see why pop doesnt play vaughn, he does a decent job on defense, and can penetrate and dish out. the only thing he lacks is a jump shot. but hes a great hustler. gino as a point is just too risky and hes too turnover prone.
Why can I go myself? Probably because you know it's true. All of your were talking so hardcore, then you lose, badly might I add, and now you all claim that the dynasty is over. Be a fan and support your team no matter what.
Vaughn would not solve the offense problems in the third one bit.
Look at numero 21 for that problem last night.
Yes, and IF by chance the Hornets do advance this round and IF the Lakers win their series, NO's HCA goes out the window, and they will HAVE to win on the road. Of course, I still don't think they'll advance out of this round, so the point is mute.
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