Spurs-Hornets Preview

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/games/20080312/SA...scoreboardhome

Spurs-Hornets Preview
By KATE HEDLIN, STATS Writer

The San Antonio Spurs being in first place in the Western Conference this late in the season isn't unusual. Them having to fight off the New Orleans Hornets for that spot is.

The Spurs and Hornets close out their season series Wednesday at New Orleans Arena in a game that could decide which team earns the No. 1 seed for the conference playoffs.

San Antonio (44-19) is trying to keep pace with the Lakers for the best record in the West, but the defending NBA champions are also trying to hold off Houston, Utah, New Orleans (42-20) and Phoenix for first place.

San Antonio avoided a third straight loss Monday with a 107-103 victory over Denver. Tim Duncan had 23 points and matched a season-high with 18 rebounds, while Manu Ginobili added 13 points and a career-high 14 assists.

The Spurs were coming off back-to-back road losses to the Nuggets and Suns.

"We're trying to play harder for 48 minutes than anybody else, and against Phoenix we didn't do that," Duncan said. "To bounce back today and have learned from yesterday's game is great for us."

Duncan and the Spurs have taken two of three against the Hornets this season, including a victory in the first New Orleans meeting in November. San Antonio has a one-game lead over Houston and a 1 1/2-game advantage over the Hornets in the Southwest Division.

A win Wednesday would give the Spurs the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Hornets, which could come into play in the crowded race for the top seed in the West.

The Spurs are 16-3 in their last 19, including a 98-89 home victory over the Hornets on Feb. 23 in the teams' most recent matchup. San Antonio, though, plays six of its next eight games on the road, a stretch that includes games at Detroit, Dallas and Orlando and a home game against Boston.

"Everybody who we are playing over these next five to 10 games seems to be on a hot streak of some sort," said Duncan, averaging 22.0 points and 10.3 rebounds this season against New Orleans. "We gotta gear it back up again."

The Hornets, looking to make the playoffs for the first time in four years, are also in the midst of a critical part of their schedule. They're coming off a 106-96 loss to the Rockets on Saturday that snapped a three-game winning streak.

The game was the first of three in a row against teams with better records than the Hornets. New Orleans faces the Lakers at home Friday, Detroit on Sunday and Houston and Boston next week.

On Saturday, Chris Paul had 37 points and 11 assists and Tyson Chandler added 15 points and 16 rebounds, but the Hornets lost for the second time in three games against the Rockets this season.

With the tough stretch coming up, New Orleans badly needs second-leading scorer David West back in the lineup. The forward was sidelined for a third straight game Saturday with a sprained left ankle. He's listed as day-to-day.

The Hornets have won four straight at home and are 22-10 at New Orleans Arena this season, but they've dropped their last four home meetings with San Antonio and nine of the last 10.

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/080312.html

Probable Starters:

Parker
Guard
18.3 PPG
Ginobili
Guard
20.6 PPG
Bowen
Forward
5.9 PPG
Duncan
Forward
19.7 PPG
Thomas
Center
7.2 PPG

Spur in the Spotlight
Tim Duncan
"Everybody who we are playing over these next five to 10 games seems to be on a hot streak of some sort.

Did You Know...
Tim Duncan and Chris Paul both played their college ball at Wake Forest … Tim Duncan is one of only two players (Robert Parrish) to record two 20-20 games against the Hornets … former Spur David Robinson blocked 11 shots at Charlotte on 2/2/90, setting a record for most blocks in a game by a Hornets opponent … the Hornets won their first road game in franchise history with a 107-105 win on 11/19/88 in San Antonio.

[Indazone]

Pretty evenly matched teams I'd say. Tossup as to who'd win

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/courtside_live.html

Hornets host Spurs in Southwest showdown Wednesday
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com

In one of the biggest regular season NBA games played at the New Orleans Arena since the Hornets moved to Louisiana in 2002, New Orleans hosts Southwest Division rival San Antonio. The clubs have been near the top of the division standings throughout the season. The Hornets trailed the Spurs by one game prior to San Antonio’s Monday home game vs. Denver.
San Antonio holds a 2-1 head-to-head edge over New Orleans, meaning the Spurs would lock up the season series and the tiebreaking advantage that comes with it if they prevail. If the Hornets win and even the series at 2-2, the tiebreaker would be determined by which team has the better record against Western Conference opponents. Through Sunday’s games, the Hornets were 28-14 vs. the West, while the Spurs were 22-15.
The defending champion Spurs haven’t received as much attention this season as several other top West teams, but are vying for the No. 1 spot in the West. San Antonio had an 11-game winning streak that was halted recently. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is enjoying a spectacular year, leading the club in scoring for the first time in his career.

Intriguing matchup: Point guard, Chris Paul vs. Tony Parker
Two of the quickest players in the league go head-to-head for a fourth and final time in the 2007-08 regular season. Parker was spectacular in the Spurs’ 12-point victory in New Orleans on Nov. 9, piling up 27 points and eight assists. In San Antonio’s other win against the Hornets, Parker and the San Antonio defense limited Paul to four assists, though CP did register 27 points.

Hornets Update
STARTERS
Chris Paul: His 37 points at Houston was eighth time this season he’s scored 30 or more.
Morris Peterson: Shooting 46.7 percent from three-point range in March.
Peja Stojakovic: Made at least one trey in 25 straight games and has appeared in 36 consecutive games (last missed game was Dec. 19 at Seattle).
David West: Hornets are 3-1 when he’s sidelined, 39-19 when he plays.
Tyson Chandler: Current streak of seven consecutive double-figure scoring games is his longest of 2007-08.
RESERVES
Chris Andersen: Waiting to make first appearance after being signed three games ago.
Hilton Armstrong: Currently behind Melvin Ely in rotation.
Ryan Bowen: Averaging one steal every 22.0 minutes. Only teammate with better rate is Chris Paul (every 13.9 minutes).
Rasual Butler: After making eight starts earlier this season, has sat out past three games.
Melvin Ely: Moved back into rotation, averaging 9.8 minutes in March.
Mike James: Shooting 42.9 percent from field in New Orleans uniform after hitting 35.0 percent of shots in Houston over 33 appearances.
Jannero Pargo: Cooled off on the weekend, going 4-for-18 from field against New Jersey and Houston.
Bonzi Wells: Missed four straight games to injury.
Julian Wright: Played more than 20 minutes in three straight games. He had logged 20-plus minutes a total of two times in Hornets’ first 59 games.

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/Riva...1925-2057.html

Rival Report: Spurs blogger David Thiessen
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com

Throughout the 2007-08 regular season, Hornets.com will be chatting with writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at New Orleans Arena. With the Hornets hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, we caught up with David Thiessen, a writer for the “Spur of the Moment” blog.

Hornets.com: It’s been another prototypical San Antonio season, with the Spurs starting somewhat sluggishly, before putting it into high gear in the second half of the season. What have been some of the biggest differences between the Spurs of November and December compared to the Spurs of right now?

Thiessen: Health, health and more health. In December and January, Tim Duncan missed four games, Manu Ginobili missed five and Tony Parker missed six with injuries. Brent Barry also missed 13 games with calf injuries. While none of the injuries were major, they kept the Spurs from finding consistency. As soon as one player returned, another went down. Now everybody is healthy and the rotation is becoming more consistent. It also helps that the role players don’t have to play above their abilities. With Duncan, Ginobili and Parker all healthy, players like Michael Finley and Ime Udoka don’t have to worry as much about scoring because at least two of the Big Three will usually score close to 20 points.
For the first time in his six-year NBA career, Manu Ginobili is San Antonio’s leading scorer.

Hornets.com: Manu Ginobili is having a spectacular season, the best statistically of his six-year NBA career. What are some of the areas where the 30-year-old has improved most in his game?

Thiessen: One area that has improved is his three-point shooting. When he entered the league, Ginobili shot 34.5 percent from behind the arc and attempted 2.1 a game. His percentage has increased every year, and he is now shooting 41.2 percent and taking 5.6 a game. Early in his career, Ginobili was known as a penetrating guard who could shoot the three if open. Now he creates space with a killer crossover and is hurting opponents from deep. Secondly, Ginobili is simply shooting more. With Parker missing much of February, Ginobili took a bigger role on the offensive end. This year he is attempting 14 shots a game, which is a career-high by almost three shots. He has always been efficient, but he’s asserting himself more this season.

Hornets.com: Anything we should know about the seasons San Antonio stalwarts Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are having in 2007-08?

Thiessen: Tim Duncan is quietly having a great year. We often take him for granted because he is consistently good, so his numbers fly under the radar. After a slow start, he has come on strong in February, averaging 21.8 points, 13 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.3 steals. He can still take over a game when necessary, but that happens less often with Ginobili and Parker helping. Parker started the season better than ever, averaging over 20 points in November and December and 7.3 assists in November. However, injuries to his ankle have limited his production since then, and he is scoring less and his assists have dropped. His shooting percentage has dipped below 50 percent this year for the first time since 2005. This comes from a slight increase in perimeter shots, and he isn’t hitting quite as many this season. Still, Parker is starting to regain his form and can take over a game with his penetration.

Hornets.com: How important do you expect the acquisition of accurate-shooting big man Kurt Thomas will be in the playoffs?

Thiessen: I expect Thomas to have a big impact. While his numbers with the Spurs so far have been modest, with 3.4 points and 5.6 rebounds, he can and should produce more come playoff time. He is still adjusting to the Spurs system and finding his role. Once he does, he can help the Spurs in numerous ways. They have always lacked a second rebounding big man, and Thomas is the best rebounder, besides Duncan, that the Spurs have had since David Robinson. He should also fit in nicely with Duncan on the offensive end. A reliable mid-range shooter, Thomas should be able to find openings if his man helps on Duncan. Finally, Thomas helps the Spurs defense if they face Phoenix or Los Angeles in the playoffs. He can defend Shaq or Pau Gasol effectively, allowing Duncan to concentrate on Andrew Bynum or Amare Stoudemire.

Hornets.com: One of the main concerns analysts have had about the Spurs for the past few years is that they are getting old. Thomas is 35. How are other Spurs players such as Robert Horry, 37; Bruce Bowen, 36; Michael Finley, 35; and Damon Stoudamire, 34; holding up right now?

Thiessen: They are holding up just okay. The biggest issue is that none of those players are consistent these days, and age is partly to blame. Horry’s numbers are down this year, especially his shooting, but he still has an occasional game where he can hit a couple threes, grab some rebounds and block a shot or two. However, these games are becoming more and more rare. Bowen’s defense has slipped a little bit, and bigger, faster players are beating him more often. On the offensive side, his numbers are almost identical to last year. However, Pop has gone to Ime Udoka in the fourth quarter frequently because he is a more versatile offensive player. Ultimately, Bowen is still an elite defender, just not the best perimeter defender like in past years. Finley’s game has also dipped in consistency, and he is shooting only 39.7 percent and 75.4 percent on free throws. One game he will hit seven of 10 shots and the next he will go 1-of-9.

Even though age is starting to catch up with some of the role players, Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are all still young. As long as those three are healthy, a slight decline in the production of Horry, Bowen, Finley and others is okay. These players know their roles and still fill them.

Hornets.com: Which opposing team do you believe poses the biggest threat to the Spurs in the Western Conference playoffs? Is there a team out there that matches up well against San Antonio that might surprise us?

Thiessen: If Andrew Bynum returns to full health, I think the Lakers pose the biggest threat to the Spurs. He gives them at least three reliable scorers, four if Lamar Odom is focused. Pau Gasol his fit in nicely with the team and should not get in the way of Bynum because they don’t occupy the same space. Gasol focuses more on his mid-range game and Bynum on playing near the basket. With those two and Odom, they present numerous matchup problems, forcing the Spurs to either play a bigger lineup than they prefer or put 6-5 Ime Udoka on 6-9 Odom. There really isn’t a surprise team that matches up well with the Spurs. The closest thing to a surprise is the Mavericks, considering that they sit seventh in the West. They aren’t much of a surprise though because of the rivalry between the two teams. San Antonio struggles with long small forwards like Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki. Ime Udoka and Bruce Bowen can try to defend them, but both give up height and weight.

Hornets.com: Given their significant edge in experience over the compe ion, is it accurate to think that even though they are currently at the top of the standings, the Spurs may be less concerned about seeding than any team in the Western Conference?

Thiessen: I think that’s an accurate statement. Last year the Spurs won on the road in the playoffs against Denver, Phoenix, Utah and Cleveland. With as much playoff experience as the Spurs have, they don’t need to worry as much about seeding as some other teams with less experience, like New Orleans. Still, I’m sure that they would like the homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs if possible. The difference between the Spurs and other teams, however, is that they won’t get rattled if they do have to start a series on the road.

Hornets.com: What should we know but don’t about the Spurs?

Thiessen: You probably already know this, but the Spurs are playing their best defense of the season right now. As of March 8, they have held opponents to 87.4 points on 41.4 percent shooting in their last 10 games. Earlier in the season, they struggled defensively and were winning because the Big Three were scoring so easily. Now they are starting to shut opponents down with defense and control the game that way.

[Princess Pimp]

Allowing the Nuggets to score in triple digits twice is not exactly having the best defense

[urunobili]

thank you duncan228! this last one on hornets.com was very good reading!

[MoSpur]

This is gonna be a good game. A very good game. I think Pop should start Udoka instead of Manu. Only because if you bring Oberto and Manu off the bench together, it works better.

[duncan228]

thank you duncan228! this last one on hornets.com was very good reading!

No problem.

The Hornets seem to have one of the better NBA sites.
They do a lot of stuff other teams sites don't.

[boutons_]

March 12, well into SPAM.
(Spurs peak after March (1st))
Playoffs in 5 weeks. Now's the time.

In-division rival that is only 1 L behind the Spurs.

Playoff intensity.

Statement game.

There's the 24-pt blowout @ATT to avenge.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

This is a huge game. I'm not sure the Spurs are quite where they need to be, intensity-wise yet.

[Obstructed_View]

Allowing the Nuggets to score in triple digits twice is not exactly having the best defense

Everybody click here.

[Spuradicator]

Everybody click here.

Nah, I wouldn't giver her the satisfaction. Just ignore the . Thats what really pisses trolls off.

[Obstructed_View]

Nah, I wouldn't giver her the satisfaction. Just ignore the . Thats what really pisses trolls off.

I guess you didn't click my link, because ignoring him is exactly what it does.

[Spuradicator]

This is a huge game. I'm not sure the Spurs are quite where they need to be, intensity-wise yet.

I worry about that also, Im tired of seeing us play complacent. I know come playoffs were a different animal, but strong regular season wins certainly help.

[Spuradicator]

I guess you didn't click my link, because ignoring him is exactly what it does.

I did click on it. I'd just prefer my method.

[41times]

Hornets are favored by 1 point now. Opened at 2 and now is 1.

I am hoping for a Five Overtime Thriller!!!

[The Franchise]

I would like to see a Spurs victory. I despise the Hornets.

[Michi_Germany]

Spurs will take this one!

[Budkin]

So is David West playing or not?

[ancestron]

has anyone noticed what a monster Tim Duncan has been on the boards lately? I dont remember his rebounding stats being this good for quite a while.