Prior to the start of the Hornets-Spurs series, head coach Byron Scott said his Hornets would be in for a tough series and that San Antonio were still the champs until someone knocked them off in a seven game series. Scott couldn't have been more right as his team lost a second consecutive blowout game on the Spurs home court 100-80, evening up the series at 2-2.
The Spurs chocked the life out of the Hornets offense as they kept forward David West in check, holding him to just 10 points. Peja Stojakovic was once again a non-factor as he had six points and attempted just one three-point shot, one he missed.
"Honestly defensively I thought we were better than we have been this entire series and I thought that was the difference in the game, "Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. Hornets center Tyson Chandler didn't even have a field goal attempt as he finished with two points via the free throw line.
Duncan had 22 points and 15 rebounds, Tony Parker added 21 points for the Spurs, who led nearly the entire game and are assured of a Game 6 back in San Antonio.
Chris Paul scored 23 for the Hornets and was about it for his team's offense, "I really can't explain this one. We just looked pretty bad out there tonight. We got to bounce back," said Paul. "We got beat in all aspects of the game tonight. They beat us to every loose ball. We came out here to try and get a win but came up short."
LISTEN TO PAUL
San Antonio shot down any chance of a Hornets come back with a 30 to 19 third quarter. "We played pretty well in the third quarter," said Parker who admits the team in the locker room at the half talked about keeping the pressure on the Hornets
for the remaining two quarters. "The only thing we were talking about was remember what happened in New Orleans. We played very bad in the those third quarters so, keep it going and don't give them any hope."
The Spurs led by as many as 27 and were ahead nearly the entire game. They shot 51 percent while the Hornets shot an icy 40 percent from the field. The Spurs out-rebounded the Hornets 45-to-36 and outscored them 30-to-19 in the decisive third quarter.
"It's just all about us getting back to playing basketball. You can't worry about the physical part of the game because you got to be physical as well, can't worry about the referees," said a frustrated Hornets head coach Byron Scott. "What we have to do is we have to get that level of intensity back, that's the bottom line. We got to compete."
LISTEN TO BYRON SCOTT
So now it's back to the Hive where the Hornets have won 17 of their last 18 games. "The good thing about it is that it's just two to two now. Now it's a three game series," says Paul. "First team to win two games wins it so no time to panic."
Game 5 tips off at 8:30 Tuesday night.
Bob DelGiorno &Monica Pierre
