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yeah.It seems like both teams have laid all the cards out on the table heading into Game 7.
Tim, Tony, Manu needs to play all 48 mins possible.
Oberto, Thomas, Horry need to use all 18 fouls.
Horry = Spurs new enforcer
The San Antonio Spurs took care of business in Game 6. The New Orleans Hornets made a few decent runs but the Spurs held them off and won by a final score of 99-80. The Spurs were up 68-61 in the middle of the third quarter when they went on a 16-2 run to put the game out of reach.
The Hornets didn’t play especially well, as no one on their team had an above average game. Chris Paul (21 points, eight assists and six rebounds) and Tyson Chandler (14 points and six rebounds) were solid but they weren’t at their best. New Orleans hasn’t figured out how to beat the Spurs in San Antonio. The good news for the Hornets is they don’t have to figure it out. All New Orleans needs to do is beat the Spurs at home in Game 7. With four consecutive blowouts of the Spurs at their home, it’s tough to imagine the Hornets not being supremely confident in the situation they find themselves in.
Regarding the Spurs, they did a very good job of focusing in on getting Game 6. The Spurs could have easily looked ahead and taken Game 6 for granted – but they didn’t do that. Instead, the Spurs took the lead in the first quarter and never trailed again.
Offensively, the ball movement was impressive. The Hornets were blitzing the pick-and-rolls again and the guards did a good job of not trying to do too much. It helped that the Spurs shot well from the field (49.4%) and hit their three-pointers (11-for-21).
Defensively, the Spurs were impressive. The gameplan called for the Spurs to change up their defense on the pick-and-roll constantly, which seemed to keep Paul off balance about as well as possible. Tim Duncan also took it upon himself to defend David West, which worked out nicely.
Overall, the Spurs did what they needed to do. They’re now in the position they wanted to be in after losing Game 5. It’s not the greatest position in the world to be in but it beats planning fishing trips.
-Tim Duncan bounced back from his Game 5 disappointment with a really nice showing in Game 6. Duncan finished the contest with 20 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots, while shooting 7-for-14 from the field. On the offensive end, Duncan was much more aggressive and decisive ion his moves. He made the Hornets pay whenever he was doubled by hitting the open man. Defensively, this was easily Duncan’s best performance of the series. He took on the job of defending West for a few stretches and did a fine job. I was impressed by how Duncan didn’t try to do too much. It would have been easy for him to come out and insist on carrying the team on his back. Instead, Duncan smartly picked apart the Hornets while selecting his spots perfectly. After struggling mightily in the first three games in New Orleans, hopefully Duncan can come with a vintage performance in Game 7.
-The Spurs needed Manu Ginobili to put points on the board and he did just that. Ginobili led the Spurs with 25 points and also chipped in four rebounds and two assists. The difference between this game and past games for Ginobili was his shooting. In the last seven playoff games, Ginobili was shooting only 30.8% from three-point land. On Thursday, Ginobili hit 6-of-9 three-pointers and 3-of-6 two-pointers. Ginobili hitting his shots is extremely important for the Spurs, especially against the Hornets’ trapping defense. While Ginobili’s assist numbers weren’t as impressive as they were in the first five games of this series, he more than made up for that by not turning the ball over. When he got blitzed on the pick-and-roll, Ginobili made the quick and easy pass – which is exactly what he needs to do. Defensively, he had his best game of the series. Considering that Ginobili’s two main goals in each game against the Hornets should be limiting his turnovers and hitting his open three-pointers, he provided the Spurs with what they needed Game 6. Hopefully he can carry it over into Game 7.
-Tony Parker didn’t play too well. When he got blitzed on the pick-and-rolls, the size and length of the blitzers bothered him. He also made a few ill-advised decisions. That said, Parker did a good job of attacking and hit a few momentum changing shots. On the night, Parker finished with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, while shooting 6-for-13 from the field. It was far from the domination we've come to expect out of Parker in victory, but he has more than carried his load in this playoff run. In Game 6, Parker’s defense wasn’t overly effective but he was more physical than usual, especially when he got switched off onto a bigman. In Game 7, Parker needs to play smart and take what the defense gives him.
-Bruce Bowen had a sub par game. On offense, Bowen was only 1-for-6 from the field. On the other end of the court, Peja Stojakovic was able to score 13 first half points. To Bowen’s credit, he picked up his defensive pressure in the second half and held Stojakovic scoreless over the final two quarters. Bowen also drew two second half offensive fouls on Paul to put the Hornets’ point guard in foul trouble. In Game 7, Bowen has to hit his open threes and take Stojakovic out of the contest.
-After Game 5, I said I wanted Fabricio Oberto back in the starting lineup. Apparently Pop agreed. Oberto responded by playing a really good game. He set the tone early, dishing off four assists in the first five and a half minutes of the game – all of which were to Duncan. Oberto personally saw to it that Duncan got off to a good start. On the other end, he defended West rather well. When the Spurs blitzed Paul, Oberto did a very good job of staying in front of the shifty point guard. Oberto finished the game with four points, four rebounds and four assists, while hitting half of his four shots from the field. His stats don’t look too impressive but he was a big part of the win. The Spurs need a similar performance in Game 7 out of Oberto.
-Ime Udoka played 21 minutes off the bench and he was fantastic. Udoka picked a great time to have his best game of the season. Offensively, he was decisive and played with supreme confidence. Defensively, he was tough, rugged and extremely effective. Udoka finished the night with 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one wicked blocked shot. Even more impressively, Udoka hit all five of his shots from the field, three of which were three-pointers. To show just how dominant Udoka was in Game 6, he finished the contest with a game-high plus/minus of +28. I’ve been hard on Udoka at times this year, especially when he struggled with his shooting earlier in the playoffs. However, if he can come up big in Game 7, I will officially apologize for ever doubting the man.
-Kurt Thomas came off the bench to play 21 minutes. While his stats look nice (six points and nine rebounds on 3-for-4 shooting), he’s simply not helping the team against the Hornets. His lack of chemistry on offense is glaring and the Hornets take advantage of it. Anyone who is watching closely can see the offense stagnate whenever Thomas sets foot on the court and then suddenly come alive when he’s on the bench. Defensively, he hasn’t been nearly good enough to makeup for his shortcoming offensively in this series. In Game 7, the less of Thomas, the better. The only way he should get extensive playing time is foul trouble or if the team is having trouble grabbing boards.
-Michael Finley played 18 largely invisible minutes on Thursday night. The only time he was noticeable was when he was missing shots. He finished the game 1-for-6 from the floor to finish with two points and two assists. While it was a forgettable game for Finley, he could very well be needed in Game 7. He’s still one of the best shooters on the team and if the Spurs can’t knock down their shots, Finley will be called upon to help spread the court. Hopefully he has a few more bullets left in his chamber.
-Robert Horry’s night will be remembered for the pick on West that left West crumpled on the ground writhing in pain. West entered the game with a gimpy back and Horry blindsided West with a pick. While there’s surely to be a lot of whining about the play from the usual suspects, I don’t think the play was anything more than a hard playoff foul. And honestly, it wasn’t even that hard of a foul. Outside of the foul, Horry looked pretty good. He was active on the boards and on defense. He didn’t hit a shot but he looked a lot more in rhythm than we’ve seen at any point in the playoffs. Horry finished with four rebounds, one assist and one steal, while missing all three of his attempts from the field. Heading into a Game 7, Horry is definitely a player you’d rather have on your side.
-Brent Barry, Matt Bonner and Jacque Vaughn all played in garbage time. It was good to see Bonner get his first minutes of the playoffs and he responded by hitting 2-of-3 shots. In Game 7, the only one of these three players that could see meaningful playing time is Barry. If the Spurs need three-pointers, Barry could the player Pop looks at to provide the outside shooting touch.
-I was impressed by the wrinkles Pop implemented into the gameplan. Defensively, the Spurs finally gave Paul a number of different looks on the pick-and-roll. By blitzing him sometimes, going under the screen sometimes, going over the screen sometimes and switching up the defenders on him, the Spurs finally made Paul not look like the best player in the league for a few possessions.
Pop putting Duncan on West was another nice move. If Duncan can stay out of foul trouble in Game 7, that’s an alignment that we should see again. Pop’s quick hook on Bowen when Bowen was struggling against Stojakovic paid off as well. Udoka came in and slowed Stojakovic and Bowen played like a man possessed in the second half.
Offensively, the big difference was the ball movement. Inserting Oberto into the starting lineup helped the passing immensely, as did the guards getting rid of the ball when they were blitzed on the pick-and-rolls.
Pop also deserves credit for remaining confident in Udoka. Udoka missed enough shots earlier in the playoffs to make any sane coach give up on him. Luckily Pop kept giving him a shot and now Udoka has been a monster on both ends of the court in two straight games.
It seems like both teams have laid all the cards out on the table heading into Game 7. During this three-day break, hopefully Pop and the coaching staff can devise a gameplan that will be successful. A lot of what the Spurs did in Game 6 was successful, however Pop needs to keep the Hornets guessing. Once Paul figures out a defense and gets into a groove, you just can’t stop the Hornets’ offense.
The bottomline is the Spurs handled their business in Game 6 and now face what promises to be an epic Game 7. Considering San Antonio has gotten blown out four straight times in New Orleans, the Spurs will need to play almost perfect basketball to survive.
The hopes and dreams of championship number five comes down to one game. It’s time to stare this seemingly impossible challenge in the eyes and come away with one win.
Believe.
1.
yeah.It seems like both teams have laid all the cards out on the table heading into Game 7.
Tim, Tony, Manu needs to play all 48 mins possible.
Oberto, Thomas, Horry need to use all 18 fouls.
Horry = Spurs new enforcer
Excellent recap as usual.... who do you think should be first off the bench next game?
Udoka or Fin
Ime is irresistable when hes knocking down his shots, he just gives us so much on both ends of the court, but it would be risky bringing him before Fin in a game 7 to a degree.
For me, noting matters until Monday nights 3rd quarter.
I'd roll the dice with Udoka. He's been streaky all season -- so hopefully he's on one of his good streaks. At worst, he'll be good defensively and you can see pretty quickly if he has his shooting touch or not.
It's risky because Udoka oscillates between playing like 2004 Hedo Turkoglu and 1999 Mario Elie. If you catch him on an Elie game, he can be awesome. But if he puts up a Hedo, he can kill you ... fast.
+1
Spurs 5th championship rests in one 3rd quarter
Udoka has gotten better as the post season has gone on. I believe he needed to get his feet wet, and now he's there. He's playing really ing good ball right now. His 2 past games have seen him play with extremely good shot selection which was his biggest offensive weakness. And he's playing with no fear, which is more than I can say for Finely.
The only thing i worry about with Ime is floor spacing when hes on the floor with Bruce... when we go 4-down which we will regardless of results... there can only be one corner guy and that would be Bruce... im not sure Ime has full confidence in shooting from up top.
P'n'R shouldnt be a problem.
If the Spurs play like this on Monday, they will lose game 7.
They shot lights out from the perimeter and got several homeriffic calls from the refs.
I wanted to see them attack the rim. If they don't do that on Monday, it's all over.
Ime seemed to have a lot of confidence in this series, but he wasn't getting much playing time. It was a matter of time seeing him with a great game. Hopefully it can extend till monday.
Ime Udoka and the Spurs' defense were the two great things about game 6.
Ime started shooting without any hesitation to think and that kept him in rhythm. The shots started falling when he let his body and mind take over with learned/programmed responses.
he became what we all hoped for when he came to the Spurs. Keep it going Ime and you're Okey Dokey.
Yeah -- it looks like he's broken the ice. He'll play tough with D and passing and rebounding in game 7 and if he's hitting shots too, watch out.
Two things to watch in game seven: Chris Paul in the post and the Hornets pushing the ball really hard every time Tony Parker falls down on a layup attempt.
Finley's done. I honestly cringe when he comes into the games now.Michael Finley played 18 largely invisible minutes on Thursday night. The only time he was noticeable was when he was missing shots. He finished the game 1-for-6 from the floor to finish with two points and two assists. While it was a forgettable game for Finley, he could very well be needed in Game 7. He’s still one of the best shooters on the team and if the Spurs can’t knock down their shots, Finley will be called upon to help spread the court. Hopefully he has a few more bullets left in his chamber.
As for Udoka's shot selection, while I do agree that at times it seems like he has bad selection, I also love the fact that he doesn't hesitate on his shots, whether he's making them or missing them, he continues to shoot as if he's going to make the next one. That's more than I can say for Finley and even Bowen at times. Esp on the road against the Hornets this series, I've seen both players often times pass on an open shot behind the 3 point line, have no confidence in thier shot and so they decide to "drive" and try to create their own shot which neither are very good at or they pass the ball and one of the Big 3 has to jack up a shot with about 5 sec left on the timeclock. Udoka's no fear at ude can hurt you and help you.
The Spurs had a ing awesome game.
Those are my game thoughts.
Sad but true
I was impressed with Udoka's play. His block on Pargo was awesome. I thought Manu came out and just played like he said he would. No complaining to the refs. Just shutup and play. That was a huge difference.
I couldn't agree more. We need more Mike Brent 3's.
Can anyone even explain to me how that was even considered a foul by Robert Horry? Maybe I am missing something in the replays, but I saw David West trying to front Horry, Ginobili tries to pass the ball to Horry inside, the ball goes over West's head and he reaches back for it (with a already bad back) and Horry sets a hard pick to make sure he leans into his crossed arms. Horry didn't even touch the guy otherwise. Even if Horry wasn't there, the angle of the pass and West's attempt to reach back and swipe at the ball would have left him in pain regardless. Perhaps I'm just missing something though....?
Yes, because Finley was so consistent up to now, and his defense was always so good.
You will of course be ready with tons of praise should Fin happen to hit five three pointers and score 20 points to help the Spurs win game seven, right?
You forgot to mention that Horry is a headhunter who has intentionally hurt people his whole career. Also that the only reason he was in the game was to hurt someone and that he should be suspended for 4 games. THAT"S IT! I'm calling stujackson right now!!!
There is no explanation other than maybe the ref saw West go down out of the corner of his eye or something and just instinctively blew the whistle figuring Horry must have shoved him.
great game last night. i loved Pop switching up the d on CP3, various defenders, hard doubles, traps, etc. my only thing is that CP3 can score the ball and I respect that, i just wish we would stay home on everyone else and let him score when he gets in the paint. i want him to expend energy scoring and while clamping down on everyone else.
last night, too many times, the help defense came over resulting in a pass or a dunk. we can't allow that to happen in game 7 and let them energize themselves and the crowd with alley oops. so i hope Pop pulls out the Nash game plan for game 7.
Finley is dead meat. He doesn't pull the trigger when he is open. When he does he misses.
At least shoot 40%, even in garbage time he was bricking. This guys in his head too much, and nothing has changed.
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