Old Spurs survive young, feisty Hornets

ON BASKETBALL

Watching the final quarter of San Antonio's 91-82 Game 7 win over New Orleans reminded me of a classic father-son rivalry.

There's the father, who has always been able to beat his son in games of one-on-one by using his strength and developed skills. Now, however, his son has caught up to him in those two departments, but still can't quite beat Dad. But he scratches and claws, making the old man sweat and breathe hard.

Such was the case Monday in New Orleans, as San Antonio's seemingly insurmountable 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter wilted all the way down to three ... because of the play of Jannero Pargo?

Yep, that's no typo. The Hornets' precocious superstar Chris Paul stood idle while Pargo revved his engine every time down the floor, sometimes not even waiting for his teammates. But Pargo was able to score against a Spurs team that appeared just a bit slower and fatigued than they were during the first three quarters.

The jitterbug backup point guard glided by defensive stalwart Bruce Bowen (36 years old) for a pair of runners ... the lead was down to 10.

He drew a foul on All-Star Tim Duncan (32) and converted both free throws ... make that an eight-point game.

Then there was the huge 3-pointer, which came off of three New Orleans offensive rebounds, that cut the Spurs' advantage to a precarious three points, 83-80.

Alas, there was no dream comeback for Pargo, 28, and his even younger teammates. The spurt came too little, too late, and when San Antonio's own fast, slithery point guard Tony Parker -- he's only 26, but he's got three championship rings -- nailed a midrange jumper with 50 seconds remaining, the old was moving on while the young will have to wait for next year.

"I think finally the experience helped a little bit," Parker said afterward.

And good thing it came through this time around, because who knows how much longer aging teams like the Spurs will be able to fend off the up-and-coming squads such as the Hornets.

Maybe very soon, but Monday was all about San Antonio's veterans -- the stars, the role players and the is-he-still-playing? guys.

It started with Duncan, whom you can simply watch and see how greatly he impacts a game (you don't need to check the box score). From the opening tip, the Spurs -- as they always do -- ran their offense through the 2002 and '03 MVP, and he was aggressive with his post-up moves.

New Orleans didn't want to double-team him, but when they didn't, he was too smart and still strong enough to score easily. So they doubled him almost every possession, and Duncan is as good as anybody at passing out of the post.

It's one thing when Manu Ginobili is hitting his outside shots; he's usually going to get his points unless he simply misses shots. But the killer Monday was that San Antonio's other guys, the glue of the team when it's at its best, entered the game and made huge 3-pointers.

Yes, the old fogies. They can't jump liked they used to, they can't run liked they used to. But even a 57-year-old can make set shots.

In the first half, it was seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry (37) -- yes, he still plays meaningful minutes in the playoffs -- making two huge 3s to help the Spurs take a 51-42 halftime advantage.

In the pivotal third quarter, it was Michael Finley (35) who quickly got out of a shooting slump with two huge triples as the Spurs built that commanding double-digit lead.

There was just one San Antonio 3 in the fourth quarter -- by newcomer Ime Udoka -- but the damage had already been inflicted. The Spurs finished with 12 3-pointers, including six by the trio of Horry, Finley and Bowen.

Not bad for a group of old grumps.

Of course, it shouldn't be forgotten that while Ginobili is just 30, he has a very pronounced bald spot. So maybe he, and his game-high 26 points and four 3s, should be considered an antique as well -- albeit, a very valuable antique.

What matters is that the Spurs showed, once again, that experience can trump youthful talent, if just barely. There's a reason they give the ball to Duncan on almost every offensive possession when he's in the game. Whether he makes a move or not, the play usually creates a better scoring opportunity.

As great as Pargo's fourth-quarter rally was, it glossed over the fact that the runner-up for the MVP, Paul, barely touched the ball in the period, making a single basket and basically becoming a nonfactor as he watched Pargo go to work.

Pargo can't really be blamed, however. Someone had to step up, and step up quickly. He was the first one to raise his hand. But the fact that New Orleans completely went away from its bread-and-butter when its season was on the line speaks to how inexperienced the Hornets still are.

This was only Paul's second season, and it was just the second in New Orleans for Peja Stojakovic, who had a horrendous game with seven points. The Hornets all get along, but they still need to build their on-court chemistry to the point where they know what to do in critical moments.

That's something they can learn from watching the Spurs in the next round.

As for San Antonio, it only gets harder from here. A well-rested Lakers team will likely push the Spurs to the brink. And this time, it will be more like taking on an uncle than a son. LA's Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, at least, know what it takes to win a championship.

But don't expect the Spurs to back down when the going gets nasty and proclaim, "It's your turn to win."

Because especially for the old-timers, they want to tell their grandchildren one day that they repeated as NBA champions.

Before taking them out in the driveway for a little young vs. old.

Spurs' experience, smart play dominate Hornets in Game 4

ON BASKETBALL

The most telling sequence of Sunday night's 100-80 blowout win for San Antonio over New Orleans occurred during the third quarter.

Manu Ginobili had just made a falling-backward, one-handed runner in the lane while getting fouled when he was approached by teammate Michael Finley. After congratulating his teammate, Finley whispered something to Ginobili.

I can only guess what Finley said, but I've got a pretty good one — I think. That's because on San Antonio's next possession, Ginobili found a cutting Finley for an easy layup.

And the route continued.

What Finely must have said, I surmise, is that his defender was overplaying him, and he thought he could give a fake and then cut to the basket for an easy layup. And that's exactly what happened.

It was a microcosm of what happened throughout the game. The veteran, defending-champion Spurs knew what they needed to do every time down the court — and they executed. The Hornets, on the other hand, were a one-man show: Chris Paul did a lot of dribbling and scored his points, but his teammates appeared confused at times.

On one offensive possession, Tyson Chandler and Julian Wright looked at each other as if to ask, What are we doing out here?

It was a far cry from Games 1 and 2 in New Orleans, when the Hornets played like the team chock full of champions, not to mention guys who have been playing together for several years.

Of course, New Orleans still has home-court advantage in the knotted series. That shouldn't be forgotten in the immediate aftermath of the blowout. And only the Pistons have won a game this round on the road.

But besides Paul, they better wake up. Peja Stojakovic, David West, Morris Peterson and Co. looked lost on the court Sunday. On several occasions, West hesitated to take the midrange jumper that is usually his bread and butter.

Sunday's game was why most analysts and writers, including myself, picked New Orleans to bow out in the first round against Dallas. New Orleans played the part of the young, inexperienced team.

And the Spurs definitely looked like, well, the Spurs, never letting the Hornets get into the game thanks to flawless execution. Tim Duncan passed so deftly out of double teams, I mistook him for a point guard at times. And that resulted in the Hornets scrambling to find all the Spurs on the court.

That spelled trouble, considering Tony Parker and Ginobili are two of the NBA's best penetrating guards. It didn't even matter that San Antonio missed several wide-open 3-pointers, making just eight of 26 from behind the arc.

Perhaps the most telling stat in that thing you call a box score is that San Antonio registered 27 assists on 39 made shots. New Orleans, meanwhile, had just 12 assists to 13 turnovers.

That's unbelievable, considering Paul by himself usually dishes out a dozen A's himself.

Just as remarkable was Paul's meager five assists. The point guard made 10 of 16 shots and scored a game-high 23 points, but the Spurs clearly did exactly what they planned to do on defense.

They didn't overplay Paul, instead allowing him to take as many outside shots as he wanted. And they took away his teammates. For the first time all year, perhaps, Paul didn't find Tyson Chandler for an alley-oop dunk. And open shots were few and far between for the Hornets who shoot it best — specifically Stojakovic (3 of 9) and Peterson (2 of 8).

(By the way, Gregg Popovich deserves his own column for being the NBA's best coach; he doesn't get the credit he deserves simply because of the players he has.)

Now the question is how shaken the Hornets are. They unquestionably are capable of winning two more games, but everyone has to play his role. There's a basketball saying, "Role players play better at home." If that stands true, New Orleans will win the series.

But West better remember that he's a good shooter; Chandler has to return to making smart, aggressive plays instead of picking up his fifth foul in the third quarter; Stojakovic needs to work harder to get open where Paul can find him; and everyone else has to regain the looseness that allowed them to win the first two games.

Otherwise, it will be a sad ending to what's been a great season.

On the other side, don't expect veterans Finley, Bruce Bowen and others to forget what they're supposed to do for their team. They've been in their roles for years now, and they can't argue with the results.

And as Finley demonstrated, the experienced Spurs are always thinking and reacting on the court. Even in the aftermath of a positive play in a lopsided game.

On Sunday, that wasn't the case for New Orleans. And the result is a pressure-packed Game 5 in front of their home fans, who will attempt to wake them up.

The Hornets are for real

ON BASKETBALL

Let me start off by saying that until they are eliminated, the San Antonio Spurs remain the favorites to win the NBA title.

I don't care how many games they lose or what seed they end up with. If they're healthy come mid-April, I'm picking them — with the same nucleus as a year ago — to repeat as champions.

With that out of the way, here's a question: Which Western Conference team has the best record?

The Spurs? Nope.

The Mavericks? Nope.

The Suns? Not quite.

No, the correct answer is the New Orleans Hornets. (Don't believe me? Check your local paper.)

The Hornets began Wednesday a game up on Dallas and three and a half games ahead of San Antonio in the stout Southwest Division. Their 32-12 record is percentage points better than Phoenix's 33-13 mark.

Their turnaround from a sub-.500 record a year ago is not as unbelievable as you might think.

The only reason New Orleans missed the playoffs a year ago was injuries. Point guard — and current MVP candidate — Chris Paul missed 18 games. Newly acquired free agent sharp-shooter Peja Stojakovic played in a mere 13 games. David West, the most underrated player in the league, missed 30 games.

For all you math whizzes out there, that's 117 games missed by the team's Big Three.

This season, all three are healthy and thriving. But they haven't risen to 20 games above .500 by themselves. The reincarnation of big-skinny man Tyson Chandler has been a huge key in New Orleans becoming one of the NBA's best defensive teams.

Chandler, who stands 7 feet 1 inch, is averaging a career-best 12.1 points per game and matching hist output from a year ago of 12.4 rebounds a game. (Yep, that was a Bulls fan who just jumped off a bridge, mourning management's decision to give up on the young stud by handing him to New Orleans for two players no longer in the Windy City.)

It is clear that the 25-year-old Chandler has regained whatever confidence he lost during his five non-productive years in Chicago. He plays with a renewed swagger down low, and he's a big reason why scoring easy buckets against the Hornets is no longer a walk in the park.

Because of the team's newfound success, it's easy to question whether the Hornets are a legitimate contender. I tried to do that the other day. Here's how my conversation with myself went:

Doubter: I'm concerned about their depth, especially inside. Melvin Ely isn't exactly a playoff performer.

Responder: That's an excellent point, but here's the beauty of this team: Every key cog is young and fit. Chandler doesn't mind playing 35 minutes a game, and Ely's a banger. They don't need him to score.

Doubter: OK, but Stojakovic is so fragile. What happens if he goes down again?

Responder: Dude, Jannero Pargo is playing out of his mind right now (my fantasy team just picked him up). He averages 7.5 points and 2.6 assists per game, and he's an upgrade defensively. A Stojakovic injury wouldn't do the damage it caused a year ago.

Doubter: But what about the lack of experience? Besides Pargo getting stepped over by A.I. in the finals seven years ago and Stojakovic throwing up a lame-duck air ball against the Lakers, this team is devoid of seasoned playoff players.

Responder: Two words: Chris ... Paul. At the midway point of the season, averaging 20.6 points, 10.7 assists and 2.57 steals a game, he's my MVP. There, I said it. This guy is icy clutch and isn't about to disappear in May. The modern NBA is ruled by point guards, and the Hornets might just have the best one in CP3. Plus, anyone who watches "SportsCenter" knows that David West makes as many game-winning shots as Kobe, LeBron or anyone else in the league. The team you see right now will be playing the same way — or better — come "win or go home" time.

And with that protracted, but strong, response, the conversation ended. I had convinced, well, myself that these Hornets' sting won't be any less painful in the months to come.

With one of the NBA's top starting lineups, a decent bench, and a hunger that is seen on both ends of the court, New Orleans has what it takes to make a run in the playoffs. Of course, I'm writing this in January — a lot can, and will, change between now and money time.

But don't be surprised if, just like the Saints last year, the Hornets bring energy to their struggling city with some late-season excitement.