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Pretty terrible impersonation, if you ask me.Still, the Spurs led 79-72 heading into the final five minutes, poised to ruin Paul's party. That's when West decided to impersonate Peja Stojakovic.
Now, if West would have airballed...
Spurs far from great late
By Jeff McDonald
NEW ORLEANS — For three quarters Wednesday night, the Spurs controlled the tempo, grinded out points and generally imposed their will on the New Orleans Hornets.
In that, it could have been Game 7 of last season's Western Conference semifinals, which the Spurs won on the Hornets' home floor.
After a fourth quarter in which the Hornets outmuscled, outfought and outplayed them down the stretch to claim a 90-83 victory at New Orleans Arena, the Spurs were stuck with a different kind of memory.
As he did the last time the Spurs lost, at home to Detroit on Dec. 2, coach Gregg Popovich used his postgame news conference as a bully pulpit to eviscerate what he perceived to be a lack of toughness in his team.
“They were tougher down the stretch, mentally and physically,” Popovich said. “They outplayed us in that regard.”
David West had 21 points — including a pair of crucial and unlikely 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, while Chris Paul had 19 points, 12 assists and set an NBA steals record as the Hornets outscored the Spurs 20-5 in the final 11 minutes to wrest victory away from defeat.
The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Spurs, who dropped to 15-9 and missed a shot to regain sole possession of the Southwest Division lead. That honor, for now, falls to the Hornets (15-7).
The Spurs will try to rebound tonight at Orlando, when they close their two-game road trip against one of the top teams in the East.
The Spurs weren't so much disappointed in the loss as in the way it came. Down the stretch, when they pride themselves on a steely resolve, they were continually outexecuted and outhustled.
“There's no question about it — they were tougher than us, especially in the fourth quarter,” said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who had 17 points and nine rebounds. “It really upsets me that somebody beat us because they played harder than us.”
Tony Parker had 20 points to lead the Spurs, while Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds to post his eighth-consecutive double-double.
But the Spurs could shoot only 31 of 80 from the field. In the fourth quarter, they made just 4 of 21 field goals — and one of those makes came on Tyson Chandler's goaltend of a Parker attempt.
Matt Bonner, the league's leading 3-point shooter heading into the night, attempted a team-high 15 shots, making just three. He was 1 of 8 from 3-point range for seven points.
“Sometimes, there are nights like this,” Bonner said. “It's frustrating.”
Paul came into the game with one eye on history. He was hoping to record a steal for the 106th consecutive game, and break the NBA mark held by Alvin Robertson.
Paul's moment came with 3:43 left in the first half, when he intercepted a pass from Parker intended for Duncan.
“It's an unbelievable accomplishment, to make a mark in history,” Paul said.
Perhaps it was only fitting that, on his record night, that he and his teammates used a suffocating fourth-quarter defensive effort to pull off the biggest heist of all.
After Ginobili's layup with 11:06 to go, it would be nearly five more minutes before the Spurs could muster another field goal.
Still, the Spurs led 79-72 heading into the final five minutes, poised to ruin Paul's party. That's when West decided to impersonate Peja Stojakovic.
Stojakovic, the Hornets' sharpshooting forward, was a late scratch from Wednesday's game after developing back spasms. In the crucial moments of the fourth quarter, they got a reasonable facsimile of him.
West, who had only made three 3-pointers this season before Wednesday, sank his fourth with 4:36 left. Moments later, West buried another one, and New Orleans had closed to within 79-78 with 2:53 to play.
A pair of Chandler foul shots gave the Hornets the lead, again and for good, with 2:13 remaining.
“We kept fighting, kept our focus,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “We didn't get discouraged. We knew we had to get some shots and we knew we had to get some stops and we were prepared to do both.”
Pretty terrible impersonation, if you ask me.Still, the Spurs led 79-72 heading into the final five minutes, poised to ruin Paul's party. That's when West decided to impersonate Peja Stojakovic.
Now, if West would have airballed...
Actually, no it's not. Setting a fictional record that didn't even exist last week isn't much of an accomplishment at all.“It's an unbelievable accomplishment,” Paul said.
I disagree. If your the best point guard in the league and can break records, it is a great accomplishment. You wouldnt say that if it was TP or Manu breaking that record.
It's almost as though McDonald doesn't know that Robertson once played for the Spurs.Paul came into the game with one eye on history. He was hoping to record a steal for the 106th consecutive game, and break the NBA mark held by Alvin Robertson.
Like consecutive games with 3pointers are also not a record
What is the record for number of 3 pt misses in a game by a league leading redhead from New England? I'll bet you Bonner overtook him last night!
Are Chris Paul and Jason Terry the same person?
TP or Manu wouldnt give a .
Damn right, cuz deep down these guys know what it's really about, not INDIVIDUAL records, but TEAM success. Rings baby, rings.
manu wouldn't give a . he only cares about winning. I don't think TP has the same at ude as manu for this kind of thing. he probably would enjoy it and says it's a great accomplishment. but he'd never act like CP3, like a pussy and a diva, especially on the court. I mean we're talking about a spur here.
Every player out there has a trophy case. A case they've been adding to since they first started playing their favorite sport. Why do they keep they're trophys? Because it shows their achievements through out their careers. If they didnt give a crud like some of yall say. Then I dont think there would be many great players. Believe you me. Manu and TP are proud of many of their records that dont have anything todo with the NBA as well as within the NBA. das texan and kace are both wra wra wrong. Every man alive is proud of what he does. And its rewarded when we works hard on taking what he wants. To say Manu and TP wouldnt care? Quite impossible.
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