Well, 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
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Matchups
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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 |
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Intangibles |
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The Hornets are playing at home; we're still not a good road team. Advantage: Hornets |
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Mojo |
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The Mojo is dead. Advantage: No One |
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Winner: |
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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
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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). |