(Series tied 3-3)
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
As much as they’ve been asked, no one in a Hornets uniform can explain why they’ve been so unable to put forth a competitive effort in San Antonio during this series. The one thing they are certain of – and it’s about the best news at the moment – is that they will not have to answer that question again during these playoffs.
San Antonio continued its dominance of New Orleans in the Alamo City, pulling away in the second half. The Hornets cleared their bench with 7:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, trailing 89-65. This one was almost a carbon copy of the last Hornets visit to San Antonio in Game 4, when they were down 24 through three quarters.
“If I could figure out what’s going on with this homecourt stuff, I would bottle it and sell it to the other 29 teams,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. New Orleans has won by 19, 18 and 22 points in the Big Easy during this series.
Adding to the sour taste of Thursday’s game, Hornets All-Star forward David West re-aggravated the pinched nerve in his back, after being leveled from behind by the Spurs’ Robert Horry. West exited the game with 10 minutes remaining and did not return after the hard foul.
One plus is that West will have Friday through Sunday to recuperate from the injury. Game 7 will be played Monday in the New Orleans Arena. Tip-off time is to be determined (the start time is dependent on whether the Jazz-Lakers series goes to a Game 7 that would be played later Monday).
The Hornets survived some pinpoint Spurs shooting in the first half Thursday, probably relieved to only be down by seven at halftime, 58-51. "We felt like we were in pretty good shape," Scott said. But San Antonio put the clamps down on D in the third quarter, limiting New Orleans to just 12 points. The Hornets only scored 29 points after intermission.
"That third quarter was ugly," Chris Paul succinctly said.
As anticipated, Byron Scott went with the starters to a great extent in the first half, with West and Tyson Chandler playing all 24 minutes, while Paul played 23:57. Paul and Chandler both had strong offensive games, while Peja Stojakovic started quickly but did not score in the second half. Prior to his injury departure, West struggled, going 4-for-14 from the field and scoring 10 points.
Hornets Update
STARTERS
Chris Paul: Amid a 9-for-18 shooting performance, he did most of his damage in the paint, repeatedly driving into the lane for scores or alley oop passes for Chandler dunks. His aggressiveness on D had to subside a bit when he picked up his fourth foul with 9:50 left in the third quarter. Scott kept him in the game to try to avoid falling into a bigger hole.
Morris Peterson: He took a few very difficult jumpers and went 1-for-6 from the field. His 22 minutes were the fewest he’s played in the first six games of the series.
Peja Stojakovic: His fast start was one of the more encouraging early signs Thursday, after he’d compiled quiet offensive nights in Game 3 through 5. After Bruce Bowen had hounded him of late, he finally broke free and got some wide-open looks. Unfortunately, he went scoreless in the second half after a 13-point first half.
David West: He seemed out of sync at times and couldn’t get his jumper to fall, leading to his 4-for-14 outing. He didn’t look great physically at times, appearing to wince while running up the court due to his back injury. "He took a pretty good shot in the back," Scott said of the Horry foul. "It's probably a good thing that Game 7 isn't until Monday. It will give (West) time to rest and get healthy."
Tyson Chandler: His activity on offense and attacking the rim was the best it’s been all series, resulting in three alley-oop slams, among five total dunks. Finished with 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Spurs did a good job of keeping him in check on the boards; he finished with six rebounds. Scott said he didn't think Chandler's foot injury affected him much.
RESERVES
Julian Wright: Had six points of his eight points in the fourth quarter, when the game was out of reach, but looked good and was active for most of his 13 minutes.
Jannero Pargo: Not a whole lot went right, starting with him picking up two quick fouls in the first quarter, sending him back to the bench after a two-minute stint. He was 1-for-6 overall from the floor, including a few contested jumpers with a hand in his face.
Bonzi Wells: Missed all three of his shots in the first half and did not appear again in the after 7:49 of action.
Melvin Ely: With Chandler not coming out, he did not enter the game until the fourth quarter. Hit a mid-range jumper among five points.
Mike James: His former head coach in Houston, Jeff Van Gundy, thought inserting James into the game at the outset of the fourth quarter might spark the Hornets, down 15 at the time, but the Spurs put it away quickly. James hit a pair of free throws over 12 minutes of PT.
Ryan Bowen: Two points, three rebounds in 8:01 of late-game action.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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24 comments:
5 fouls and a technical in a 1:23 span, enabled the Spurs to pull away in the third. Ridiculous officiating when the teams are so closely matched. And just for kicks, Robert Horry, savvy veteran that he is, took a very subtle, but very obviously intentional cheap shot on David West. If the Spurs think the Hornets fans will not remember all this come Game 7, they're crazy. We're going to go nuts and ensure the Bees win in 7.
I can't recall an NBA playoff series like this one where the home team has dominated every game. Unreal. But I guess this series was destined to go the distance based upon both teams finishing with the same regular season records and both splitting the season series.
Despite the bad loss tonight, I thought we played much harder and with more energy compared to game four. It was only a five point Spurs lead (60-55) at one point early in the third quarter. But we made a ton of mistakes on defense, such as rotating late out to open shooters for the Spurs like Manu, Parker and even Ime Udoka. And we lost our composure in the third quarter when CP3 and David West got into foul trouble. Showing emotion is good but it has to be controlled.
Now it is winner take all in game seven. It is going to be a battle. Despite the blowouts in this series, I think game 7 will be much closer. If West can't play or is limited by his bad back, CP3 has to bring everything he has on to the table and be Superman by playing all 48 minutes. Games like this define superstars. Paul has an excelllent chance of cementing his great young NBA career by having the game of his life. Let's hope he is not nervous on Monday.
mw, Normally I always say the easiest thing in the world is to second-guess broadcasters, but what in the world were the ESPN guys trying to say when they broke down what happened on that Horry/West play?
I really like Jeff Van Gundy's commentary - partly because he makes random references to upstate New York, where he played college ball at "legendary" Nazareth College - but he responded to that Horry incident by saying that Horry "makes winning plays" and "does the little things."
Huh? What do winning plays and the little things have to do with drilling someone from behind like that? Not to mention the fact that if you watch the play, there was no legitimate basketball reason to set a pick there. How many times does a defensive player get blindside picked in that area of the floor? If you combine Horry's clothesline on Steve Nash last year with this play, I can already hear my inbox filling up with e-mails from livid Hornets fans.
Or maybe it was a coincidence that it just so happened that the play involved David West, who has a back injury. Come on ESPN, your analysis was absurd. You would've been better off just saying "You know what audience? Let's change the subject because we don't want to say anything negative about Robert Horry."
I was waiting for Mark Jackson to say to himself, in his trademark phrase, "You're better than that!"
When whoever was on the broadcast said that was "defense straight out of the 80's" or something similar, I pretty much thought that was code for "it was dirty but I'm not going to say it, since it'a officially REMEMBER AND LOVE ROBERT HORRY's CAREER NIGHT." (He had a feature in the pregame.)
Sarah,
You bring up another perplexing aspect of what they were saying on ESPN.
The Spurs were on OFFENSE at the time of that play, not defense, so I have no idea what they were saying when they described it as Horry's clever defensive play.
Manu Ginobili was throwing a crosscourt pass at the moment that West went down. West was playing defense. Go figure.
So basically... they dropped the ball on the whole commentary on that play and just made no sense.
- Sarah (who is also Ticktock)
I'm not going to sully the Hornets page with how I feel about the Horry foul.
I cant wait to be in the Hive Monday when we close these 'gentlemen' out.
First, let me start off by saying I'm a huge Spurs fan. That's not why I'm anonymous, I just don't have an account. But I would like to comment on the "Horry/West" incident. Revert back to game 5 - CP3 was bringing down the ball, and Parker was running backwards. Chandler set a screen up high, and was called for the charge. EVERY analyst stated that was more Duncan's fault, since he didn't warn Parker he was about to run into a 7'-0" brick wall. They were ripping up Duncan for not being a good teammate.
Fastforward to Game 6. To make things clear, Ginobili was driving to the lane for a layup, not passing crosscourt. My question is this - is anyone upset that West's teammates didn't scream at him to warn him Horry was there? Horry was there so long, I'm surprised it wasn't a 3-second lane violation. Is anyone more upset that West's teammates didn't think to tell him not to jump, watch out - something? They let their teammate jump up, where his lower back was dead smack in the middle of Horry's face, causing him to leave the game. Again, as much of a Spurs fan as I am, I don't like to see anyone get hurt, especially a key player.
Just wondering how they could watch their teammate run into a screen and not say anything?
Well, good luck Monday - it will be great. - Jennifer
Whoa-apparently the officials can only see Hornet fouls? Horry should have had a technical-watch the replay. Everyone knew about D. West's back. Disgusting.
OK - 3-3 Still in the game. Whose house is it? Hornets' house. Let's
GO HORNETS! Time to move on!
Loyal Fan
I agree with Michael Torres, I think that we played better than in the other away games and the beginning of the 3rd was pretty solid with good stops until we were minus 5 points. Then the refs came in action, giving all those fouls to D-West and CmvP3...
Then when the games was already over, what did Horry was just classless. Of course everybody wants to win the title, but winning like that ??
Now it's time to get ready for Game 7 and I'm sure that players and coachs are more hungry than we are about what happened last night and they will punish the Spurs.
Also I agree with you Jim about those broadcasters...
Antoine.
I forgot to comment on the Horry play last night but I agree with all of you here in saying it was a bad play on the part of Horry. At first glance, it didn't "look" that bad but after a few minutes and considering Horry's history last year with Captain Canada (Steve Nash) and West's back problems, it was a terrible act by Horry. There was no need for that. And I truly hope there was no intent on the part of Horry to cause further problems to West's sore back. That wouldn't be to good.
Jennifer,
After watching the replay again, I could see how Horry could make a case that when Horry started to set his "pick," Ginobili WAS driving toward the basket as you said. By the time the pick was set though, Ginobili was throwing a crosscourt pass, but by then Horry had already started moving toward West to execute his screen and couldn't have stopped even if he had wanted to. A dubious argument perhaps, but Horry could make the argument.
In terms of your comparing it to the Tyson Chandler pick on Tony Parker, there is a big difference between the two plays. Point guards get blindside picked all the time in the backcourt, 50-60 feet from the basket. In those instances, teammates have ample time and warning to call out screens so that their point guard can avoid getting leveled. Teammates also have the benefit of being able to see the play unfold in front of them because they are "behind" the ball - meaning further down the court than where it is is being possessed.
The Horry/West contact was in a halfcourt situation. It is not nearly as realistic to be able to call out every screen - especially quick backside ones like Horry's - in a halfcourt set. So no, you can't say that this was the same thing or that it was West's teammates fault that West was picked like that.
Furthermore, don't expect anyone - unless it's a Spurs apologist - to give Horry the benefit of the doubt on any incidents similar to this (see 2007 Western Conference semifinals, Game 5). It's not going to happen.
The team was playing good until those 'incidents'. Game 7 is gonna be bananas but it's not being broadcasted to Brazil. I hope you give me the feelings on Courtside Live Blog.
You know, I think D-West has alternated great games and not so good ones, so next game he'll come even more motivated to play. The Horry foul was simply disgusting, maybe he was trying to get one of our key players - other than DX - to leave the bench area, like Amare did last season.
The weird thing is that just because the guy has the playoff games record, it doesn't mean he doesn't do wrong things sometimes, why not say that?
This is the best season ever and I don't want it to end.
Good luck Hornets.
Hornets Fans,
Let's make this very clear. Horry is a dirty player. Yes he is good for an occasional clutch shot but he is more known in my book for cheap shots like on Nash and now DWest. It was unnecesary and I hoping his career is over after game 7.
Spurs Jenn,
That play where Tyson was charged with a foul was garbage. He was standing still. It is absolutely the responsibility of the big man to yell out so the guard does not get drilled. That was a legal play by Tyson. In college if I got drilled like that without talk by the big man letting me know the pick was coming, the big would be running suicides the whole next practice. Duncan knows better and Tyson was on the end of a bad call. Watch the tape.
The argument that the Hornets players should have warned DWest about a cheap shot coming is absurd in itself. DWest's lower back happened to jump right up in Horry's face. I am laughing at that one. I am going to try to jump my back right up into someone's face tonight during my game. I will just continuosly jump up and go backwards and get my back dead smack in someone's face and see how I do and how the person who guards me reacts. It should be very entertaining to test this original technique/ theory. After a significant number of attempts, I am hopeful to leave the court without wearing a straightjacket this evening.
I am tired of the Spurs. Let's get this thing done and move on.
Hungry4TheClinchingWin
Spurs in 7. This series has been weird. The spurs only show desperation when they are pushed to the brink of elimination. In game 7 they will play a full 48 min. The game will be close till the end and then Manu Ginobili will when the game.
I too am a Spur Fan and do not need to subscribe to this site, but would like to drop a bit of wisdom on y'all before we close this thing out.
First to Jim, am I to believe that you are calling for all screens beyond the charity stripe to be fouls from now on? Screens (even blind ones) happen all over the floor. When you were re-watching the play, I bet you did so at slo-mo to make your'dirtermination'. The game happens much faster than that.
Back to '07 game five, that was no clothesline, it was a hard hip check. Horry was trying to pick Nash, Nash being as quick as he is spotted and evaded the set and Horry, simply leaned further to his left to reestablish position. It was SOLD as more than it was. Nash didn't react nearly as much to the contact that tore open his nose....Hmm.
If you need a good example of a chlothesline. Look to the recent game 5, 3rd qtr. Duncan screens Paul and Parker has a good lane to the bucket, except for Wells who grabs Parker about the neck colapsing him to the ground.....no call.
MW, there is plenty of hard fouling and acting going on for both sides. Refs have given plenty of home cookin in this series.
Last thing....after the Chandler pick on Parker (which was no foul either), if you were paying attention, you saw D West turn and head back on defense. As he walks past the writhing Parker he kicks (or strongly nudges with his foot) Parker. The contact was enough to cause Parker's body to move visibly. This is the reason that the Spur Fan(wrongly) chanted Horry's name last night. Both are terrible examples of sportsmanship. Difference is our fans are not on the court.
Last last thing.....Don't forget, when you are cussing us, we are what your team wants to be as said by Byron Scott.
! ! !GO SPURS GO! ! !
dnw
Can we possibly get an update on whether David West is OK? We are all anxiously waiting and hoping he's good for Game 7!
I have extreme respect for the Spurs as an organization. Their four titles speaks for themselves. And I definitely don't blame the refs for the Hornets' Game 6 loss. Any Hornets fan who does so is being unrealistic. This was a 19-point loss after all.
I do not have a beef with the refs. A couple of the Hornet fouls I've heard people complaining about today were good calls, in my opinion, including offensive fouls on West and CP where they appeared to initiate the contact.
My gripe was with Horry's play on West, as well as with ESPN's commentary afterward.
To address a couple questions put forth today,
* Legal screens are fine, no matter where they happen on the court. But using your hands, or especially your forearms on any pick, is bad basketball and should be a foul every time it's detected. I always hated and still hate trying to get around a pick and getting held... let alone someone landing two forearms in your back.
* Yes, it's legal to screen a player from behind, but I was talking about Horry's INTENT. As I said before, when you see anyone get screened in that area of the floor in a halfcourt set, it raises a red flag.
* While it's true that the Hornets are trying to emulate the Spurs and their perennial winning ways, this series has clearly shown that the margin between these two teams has shrunk to the point of being almost non-existent. Even if the Hornets lose Game 7, the gap is narrowing by the minute. Of everything positive that has happened here in NOLA this season, this is one of the best pieces of news for the team I can think of. I thought it would be 2010 or so before this happened. The Hornets are WAY ahead of schedule in trying to achieve their goal of becoming an elite NBA team.
ticktock,
From everything I am hearing today, David West will be fine to play Monday. I think it's really a matter of whether he will be at, say, 80 percent, or 95 percent. I don't think they believe it's realistic that he will be 100 percent, even after the three-day layoff.
I asked a couple people today about him and they thought that if Game 7 was tonight, West would be in the lineup. It sounds like he would be healthy enough to be productive as well (in the hypothetical scenario that Game 7 was tonight), but that's easy for me to say, because I don't have the injury.
So right now I would say to Hornets fans that at the moment don't get overly concerned about West's status. Things could change but I'm very encouraged by what I'm hearing today.
Anonmymous Spur,
You can say anything you want about Horry's supposed "hard hip check". It was an extremely dirty play. Nash SOlD being forced into the scorers table? Sounds like dropping a whole lot of Horry denial to me. It is so funny that these Spurs fans actually defend such obvious cheap shots. You can continue the denial thing after the Spurs season ends after game 7Physical series on both ends absolutely, bringing up the Nash play certainly does not help Horry's case. Horry has had a good career as a winning player. It is a shame that he turned into a thug when his skills diminished and started doing garbage like this to keep his roster spot. That was some real wisdom about your boy Horry Anonymous Spur.
This is crazy. Anyone who's seen me post here or elsewhere in the Hornets blogosphere knows I"m a massive Hornets fan. But I'm also appreciative of what the Spurs have done in the past decade. Moreover, as I'm appreciative of the Lakers threepeat, I can appreciate what Robert Horry meant to both those teams (and Houston before that). I don't think Horry is a dirty player. I'm also in the minority to believe that he is such a proven winner that he should be in the Hall.
Please, Hornets fans, calm down, Jim doesn't need 30 responses to counter these statements, I already know and admit that I'm in the minority on this. But there can be absolutely NO ambiguity on last night's play. It was dirty. I can more understand Spurs fans that cheer the dirty hit than claim that it wasn't one. Like Gil McGregor said about the flagrant earlier this year that broke Melvin Ely's cheekbone/eye socket: "it may not have been intentional, but it sure was on purpose." (Paraphrasing.)
Anyone watching the replay can see that Horry intentionally pushed into West's back, and a man Horry's size can exert a lot of force with a little push. Yet he was clever enough to make it look like nothing. The worst part, is that Game 6 was over, so why do it? The only benefit would be to knock West out of Game 7. And that, is the despicable conclusion that must be acknowledged.
That Horry and/or Pop intended to hit West with the intent to injure him. It makes me sick.
Show this quote to the Hornets and we win Game 7 easily with the thought of making Phil Jackson look like a fool in the Western Conference Finals making the win even better.
“We know San Antonio is the best of the two teams. I think either team is a very difficult match up for us and we anticipate a real tough series.”
--Phil Jackson
Yeah, I saw that Phil Jackson thing. I don't believe it for a minute. He is the master of NBA psychological warfare. I read that as, "The Hornets are the better team, I don't want to face them, and I want to inject doubt into their skulls for Game 7." But that's just me.
Please help me understand something about the Hornets. People call their homecourt "the hive" but I thought hornets had nest, bees had hives, never heard of a hornet hive? Please explain this to people in San Antonio.
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