Game #58 Preview: San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Hornets
by CapHill on Mar 1, 2010 2:00 AM CST
in Game Previews
Email
PrintWell, the Spurs won a nationally televised game that I watched. It doesn't necessarily mean anything in the grand scheme of the universe, but it was a nice change of pace. The team played pretty well, getting very balanced scoring, with six guys getting double digits. Jefferson played maybe his most complete game of the season, making a concerted effort to be aggressive with the ball by driving to the basket. Tony was his old self, flashing through the paint on offense. Manu showed the ice water in his veins by going 6-6 from the line in the last minutes of the game. And Timmeh was Timmeh.
Yes, we got lucky with J-Rich missing that dunk, but the Suns were on a five-game win streak and the Spurs managed a win against a good team. I'm choosing to be optimistic that this is the start of something.
Maybe, as CMoney so eloquently opined in the game thread, we fans will look back at February 28, 2010, as
the game that changed everything.
We've been undermanned lately, but here's hoping this is the start of a great string of hackish previews.
 San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Hornets Where: New Orleans Arena - New Orleans, LA When: March 1, 2010; 7:00 PM Spurs time Watch: FSN Southwest
How They Stack Up
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Matchups
|
||
 Tony Parker Still Ballin' |
Point Guard Scrappy Doo is still out due to injury. That's good for us. Even though Tony is still dealing with injuries (plantar fascists, left lolipopsoaps, and food poisoning), he has been playing well lately. Collison is a good player, but Tony gets the white box. Advantage: Spurs |
 Darren Collison Rookie |
|
||
 Manu Ginobili Crazy Man |
Shooting Guard Although Manu's shot is not always on, the rest of his game is back, including his sometimes questionable passes. I know nothing about Peterson's game, but he's not Manu. I am assuming, however, that he is better than Bogans. Advantage: Spurs |
 Morris Peterson Who Knows |
|
||
 Richard Jefferson Somewhat Angry |
Small Forward Well, I have to give RJ his due. He's been playing much better lately and was absolutely stellar against the Suns. And he hasn't sulked about coming off the bench. Peja has not been good most of the year, although he has been putting together some realy good games in February. Just because Stojakovic is still a dangerous shooter, it's a tie. Advantage: Tied |
 Peja Stojakovic Not the Same Peja |
|
||
 Tim Duncan Money in the Bank |
Power Forward West is a good player. He put up a monster 40/10 game in the Hornets win against the Magic, but he's no Tim Duncan. Advantage: Spurs |
 David West Solid Big Man |
|
||
 Antonio McDyess Gave us a Scare |
Center Dice gave us all a major scare in the last game. However, he came back in the game and really played well. Okafor's numbers are down this year, but he's still a threat for a double-double in each game. The lean goes towards the younger man. Advantage: Hornets |
 Emeka Okafor Another Solid Big Man |
|
||
 DeJuan Blair Just Plays |
Bench & Role Players With Paul out, Collison is no longer a weapon off of the bench, shortening the Hornets already short bench. I know why Pop is confused by Blair. Does he get his shot blocked too much and sometimes lose the ball in traffic? Yes. But he always hustles, never gives up and just knows how to play the game. Plus, he has a great smile. Advantage: Spurs |
 James Posey Ro-Ho 0.5 |
|
||
 Gregg Popovich Still Needs a Beard |
CoachPop moved RJ to the bench, which is working. He's given Hairston more minutes than Bonner and Finley combined in the last two games. And his crazy lineups have produced. Yay Pop! Advantage: Spurs |
 Jeff Bower Looks Like Your Friendly I.R.S. agent |
| images via yahoo.com | ||
|
||
 |
Other Factors
|
|
|
Intangibles |
||
|
The Hornets are playing at home; we're still not a good road team. Advantage: Hornets |
||
|
Mojo |
||
|
The Mojo is dead. Advantage: No One |
||
|
Winner: |
||
|
We seem to be clicking (maybe). The Hornets are a few games behind us in the standings. Plus, our next game is against these very same Bees on Friday, so a win is needed. |
||
Keys To The Game
|
Strength of ScheduleThis is a SEGABABA on the road, although the FIGABABA against Phoenix at least was an early game. It also a SEGABABA for the Nooch, having lost at Dallas last night. Last Time They MetThe Spurs beat the Hornets on their home court the last time these two teams met. The Spurs' 97-90 win was headlined by Timmeh and Tony, with the Spurs winning the rebounding contest by a 50-38 advantage. |
Some Other ReadingHornetsAt The Hive - The SB Nation site for the Hornets. Spurs48 Minutes of Hell: The best TrueHoop team blog. A must read. |
Where to Tune In
TVThis game will be aired on Fox Sports SW in San Antonio, and the local network in New Orleans. If you have cable or satellite, you'll have to look up your individual channel. And of course, there's always League Pass for the haves. For the have nots, read on. OnlineAs always, NBA League Pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Most Spurs games will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to poundingtherock@yahoo.com for more assistance. NBA League Pass audio is still free this year, so check it out. RadioIf you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM). |
50 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Maybe Pop will play Ian to try to give Duncan more rest on the back to back? At least Hairston is popping up more and more so it seems like he’ll make more appearances if if keeps the short leash on Bogans/Bonner/Finley/RMJ.
I’ve never heard that particular fact before. In addition, I have no idea what you mean by IUPUI, and what it could possibly mean to come out of it.
Are you sure you’re speaking English?
Rest the Croissant!
Hmmm. Not too bad, but I must say that your physcopops impersonation could use some refining.
Here’s the link if you feel like taking a refresher. =]
Rest the Croissant!
I’m way too mellow for that … I just love that “IUPUI” became a necessary part of basketball lingo all of a sudden. Every game the Spurs playing this season, they say it about 5 times. Which is about 50 times more often than this word was said on the national TV in each of the previous 50 years before George’s draft.
someone told were undefeated if RJ scores 20 or more hope that mojo really helps
Good Better or Best
Yeah, I think it’s 7-0 now =)
"I like the fact that he’s a man." – Hubie Brown on Blair
by Manu ex Machina on Mar 1, 2010 8:00 AM CST up reply actions
I’ll try to be in the game thread tonight. I’ve got a quite a bit on my plate at the moment.
"We suck on 'D. Both individually and team-wise, we suck. We're pretty consistent that way. I don't know if I have an answer to that. If I did, we wouldn't suck quite so bad." - Popovich
by Aaron "Hirschof" Preine on Mar 1, 2010 8:38 AM CST reply actions
I’m worried about Collison. The dude erupted for 35 points yesterday against the Mavs.
by silverandblack_davis on Mar 1, 2010 8:41 AM CST reply actions
I think we force him into bad shots but limit his assists. If he scores 35 but is limited to 3 assists like yesterday in Dallas, we will likely win. Hopefully he doesn’t shoot over 70% again though….
In the first two games against us, he is 1 of 6 for 5 points and hasn’t attempted a 3. He also has 3 assists in his combined 20 minutes between both games.
If he gets West and Okafor involved, I’ll be more concerned.
Somewhat Random Facts and then a “Call for Help” (and I don’t mean the call for help of posting on a sports blog at 8:00 in the morning)
1. We are closer to the Clippers (10 games behind us) than the Lakers (10.5 games ahead of us). If that isn’t a gut punch of reality, I don’t know what is.
2. We are 3-6 in SEGABABA’s but…..
3. 7-3 in THIGAFONI’s which tonight’s game is both.
4. We are 2-2 in games that are both (wins against GS and OKC and losses against TOR and MEM)
5. We had 10 THIGAFONI’s in our first 57 games but 12 in our last 25 starting with tonight’s.
6. We have 5 more THIGAFONI/SEGABABA combos after tonight (LAC, @ OKC, @ NJ, @ PHX, and @ DEN).
Call for help: can anyone please help me find that article about the 2010 FA market that had Manu as the 4th best player behind LeBron, Wade, and Bosh? I know I originally read it linked from PTR or 48MoH but I can’t find the link on either. Any help is much appreciated.
(Preemptively, THIGAFONI = THird GAme in FOur NIghts)
It is not a gut punch of reality because a gut punch appears as something unexpected and for this season, it is not unexpected to be closer to the Clippers than the Lakers……..
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Mar 1, 2010 10:21 AM CST up reply actions
this isn’t a gut punch, but something someone told me recently that is similarly structured….
Nirvana’s first album, Bleach, was released in 1989 which is closer to the Beatles last album (Let it Be, 1970, 19 years prior) than it is to now (2010, 21 years later).
by BlaseE on Mar 1, 2010 10:42 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
wow, you just blew my mind
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Mar 1, 2010 11:15 AM CST up reply actions
I’m not sure I’ve come across that but a quick google search yields this.
by silverandblack_davis on Mar 1, 2010 6:26 PM CST up reply actions
Fuck it Spurs by 20
"He was just a young skinny guy who looked like a winner. We didn’t know he was going to be as good as he is."
—Popovich on Manu Ginobli
i might argue that the win over OKC on Feb 24 could also be called the game that changed everything. it was a tough, hard-fought win over a young athletic opponent who had a better record than us.
we did have that hiccup in houston in between, but we also held OKC without a make in the last 4:30 of that game. can this spurs team say that about any game?
in order to call whatever game by such a name, the spurs will have to keep the good times rolling and that will be tough tonite. doable for sure, but tough.
“hiccup?”
More like uncontrollable violent vomiting.
called the game that changed everything.
I’m curious… what has changed?
"We suck on 'D. Both individually and team-wise, we suck. We're pretty consistent that way. I don't know if I have an answer to that. If I did, we wouldn't suck quite so bad." - Popovich
by Aaron "Hirschof" Preine on Mar 1, 2010 1:52 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Never mind. I get what you’re saying.
could also
in order to call whatever game by such a name, the spurs will have to keep the good times rolling and that will be tough tonite. doable for sure, but tough.
"We suck on 'D. Both individually and team-wise, we suck. We're pretty consistent that way. I don't know if I have an answer to that. If I did, we wouldn't suck quite so bad." - Popovich
by Aaron "Hirschof" Preine on Mar 1, 2010 2:01 PM CST up reply actions
Bye-Bye Findog.
Anyone know why we released Finley? Did we or are we going to sign another gaurd?
when did this news break?
"What excites me the most is when a coach calls a timeout and chews out his forward because I just dunked on his head."
--Karl Malone
arguably, signing another guard shouldn’t be our first priority. but we could really use a defensive-minded 3 or a good big (Ilgauskas). it looks like Larry Hughes is available, would he help us?
hughes could help us but i would love to have another big so that on small balls well have a big and blair as pf…not that small anymore right….rather than blair c?right?but i think its more realistic that we would go after hughes..i mean z…idk if he’ll go back to cleveland,maybe as planned or its just his home..how the hell are we gonna lure him?
I will stop being a spur fan if we sign hughes
"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"
it’s not like we don’t have bigs. it’s just that Pop won’t play them. he didn’t play Theo and he doesn’t play Yawn. so, unless the big is really good, Pop won’t play him. I don’t think there is a big on the market who Pop would play, except for Z, who is probably not available.
i still got hope for this team saying like on that game against denver and okc,i thought it was the season changer and right now i still hope that malik would be a game changer in his subtle ways,i don’t want him to score i just want him to defend,stopping the opp’s sf from scoring,that’s all i need plus his young he got hops.
NBA League Pass
Any idea why this game is unavailable through League Pass?
Just got a response back from League Pass support – any game that is televised at all in your area is unavailable through League Pass. So, in the Austin Area, League Pass is only good to watch one game for the rest of the season. Games televised on ESPN and ABC are not available, and any game that Fox Sports SW or NBA TV has the rights to is also blacked out.
League Pass, in this case, is definitely NOT recommended to those willing to pony up the cash.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Featured Stories
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
