# Game 63: New Orleans Hornets @ San Antonio Spurs



## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

* March 14th, 2005 - 7:30 PM (Central Time)*


*New Orleans Hornets (14-47) * @ *San Antonio Spurs (47-15) * 




Previous Meetings:

Spurs 83, Hornets 67 
Spurs 93, Hornets 83 
Spurs 101, Hornets 78 



*Projected Starting Lineups: *













































































*Reserves:*

































































Parker and Manu are supposed to be out, and Duncan is "probable." Hopefully not "probable" like the last game, although he didn't play because of back tightness instead of his ankle. If all three don't play, we're in serious trouble of losing this game. Parker has carried the team through 3 quarters in both games that Duncan and Manu missed, but ran out of gas in the 4th. Guys like Barry and Mohammed are going to have to bring their "A" game, because they are the guys who have been proven starters that need to step up. Mainly Barry, because I can't complain about Nazr's game against Denver. I'm not sure if Wilks or Beno is supposed to start, but it's probably Beno. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing Wilks play again, because in the limited time he has played, he's played very well. With Dickau and Speedy as the Hornet's PG's, Wilks' height won't be a problem at all. If Duncan plays, and if New Orleans is smart, they aren't going to let Duncan drop 30+ points on them. I can see them throwing 3 guys at him and forcing the others to hit shots. Barry better play some ball tonight. He's starting to get Hedo Turkoglu vibes where people are starting to get impatient with the guy. Step up Barry, earn your contract.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

i feel that we will drop them by 7 plus i feel that hornets will have there heads to up if you no wut i mean. if tim plays we will win. i still have a little hope parker will play but at the same time i dont want him to get hurt durring playoffs so.... tim will have 40 tonite and we win
i will be surprised if we lose
88spurs
81 hornets

sweep


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

I've actually haven't seen/heard anything about Tony not paying, only that he was injured. If he does play, I wouldn't expect him to running the floor like he did in the last two games because of his thigh.

Without Tony, Tim, and Manu
Spurs- 85
Hornets- 91

Without Tony, and Manu
Spurs- 89
Hornets- 80

Without Tim and Manu
Spurs- 91
Hornets- 87

Without Manu
Spurs- 90
Hornets- 80

I think that's all the combinations. I won't do any predictions with Manu playing because he's not suppose to be playing tonigh, and I'm too lazy.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Who you all betting on? Thought I'd check with ya'll first and wait a couple hours to see if I can find out who the spurs have before I bet.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Well, I heard on the radio that Pop told the media that Parker or Manu weren't playing. Then again, Pop is a little too secretive, so who knows. 




What's the line for the Spurs? Is it -13? I probably won't put down any points on this because I'm not sure what to expect. We should beat them by more than 13 points, but injuries and overall inconsistency doesn't really make that a lock IMO.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> Well, I heard on the radio that Pop told the media that Parker or Manu weren't playing. Then again, Pop is a little too secretive, so who knows.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's probably the wisest idea, but I've betted on every Spurs' game so far and I've voted for every game today, and I want to keep that up. It is only the Hornets so I guess I'll bet for the Spurs. Unless some more people tell me they aren't betting for them.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

The board says a refund will be issued if either Manu or Tim don't play. So there's actually really nothing to lose. I'm going to wait and save up more points before I bet on them. Then I'll blow it all :biggrin:


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

I think that without all of the big three, we can still win, but it'll be tough. DB and Barry will need to play much better than they have most of this season. New Orleans isn't too tough a team, especially defensively so we should get some easy looks.

With Duncan we should easily beat them, and he should get 30+ points. They have no one to contain TD, and if TD in fact does play, that will get even more open looks for our guys. Hopefully, Beno can step up big in this game and give us starter minutes if TP doesn't play. We will have a lot of good three point shooters out on the court this game, and hopefully a lot of opportunities to convert.

Prediction:
Spurs 88
Hornets 82


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...031405.1D.BKNspurs.hornets.adv.13694ef37.html




> Duncan's ankle improves, but Parker's thigh doesn't
> Web Posted: 03/14/2005 12:00 AM CST
> 
> Johnny Ludden
> ...






I bolded the parts I thought that were interesting/useful. 


Pop seems to like the way Mohammed has played in limited minutes, so it's very encouraging that he's got the confidence of Pop.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

"He can't walk very well," coach Gregg Popovich said. "That's why we say he might have a tough time (playing)." Does that mean Tony's playing?


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

i say it 50 50


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

TheRoc5 said:


> i say it 50 50


I need to know before I bet though. So far it's...

Tim- Probably
Tony- Maybe
Manu- Unlikely

Is that rite?


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

ya


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Manu and Tony are out but Tim is playing. Manu and Tony are both expected to come back Wednesday though.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

We held them to 10 points in the first quarter. Beno played the whole first quarter and played pretty damn well. Duncan really didn't show any side effects of an ankle/back injury, so that's relieving.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> We held them to 10 points in the first quarter. Beno played the whole first quarter and played pretty damn well. Duncan really didn't show any side effects of an ankle/back injury, so that's relieving.


Actually it was 12 points :biggrin:, but yeah the team is playing pretty well.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

ya i think barry gonna have a goo nite... i like the way tim is playn goo job spurs so far


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Naz had a nice half. Like I said earlier, Duncan looked very good out there. He looks nice and fluid. I was surprised to see Barry had 9 points 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the first half. That's surprising. 10 points for Bowen as well.



Duncan - 14 points 8 rebounds
Bowen - 10 points 2 rebounds 2 assists
Barry - 9 points 3 rebounds 3 assists
Beno - 8 points 4 rebounds
Naz - 8 points 3 rebounds


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

mybe this could be a 40 lpt lead if manu and parker were here :biggrin: lol goo job db for court vision


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

....wow....


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

:jump: im loven it lol


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

112-89 Final. Beno with a career high 25 points. I was expecting a 50 point win until Pop brought out the Scrubs. For just once I wish he'd humiliate a team other than the Lakers  

Nazr and Duncan played very well together. Wouldn't be suprised if Nazr started for us next year.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

great job guys. tim was very impressive with limited action he should be mvp beno was fan tastic and barry was the old barry. yes i hope we take this win and get parker and manu back and slotter t-wolves yes k now we got the win and need to focus on the race to get home court advantage through out the playoffs. i like the matchup wendsday it favors us. cant wait till wendsday


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## Guth (Feb 23, 2005)

I did not see the game (that is normal...what is unusual is when I DO get to see a game, which I get to do on Wednesday...ESPN...Whooooooo!)

Anyway, from the stat sheet, it looked like Barry had a great game...hopefully with Manu being out he can get some solid PT and get into some rythym...and the flip side of that, if Barry is playing well, Pop won't feel like he has to rush Manu back not completely healty...

Glad to get a win...will be even more glad when we are healthy...


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Guth said:


> I did not see the game (that is normal...what is unusual is when I DO get to see a game, which I get to do on Wednesday...ESPN...Whooooooo!)
> 
> Anyway, from the stat sheet, it looked like Barry had a great game...hopefully with Manu being out he can get some solid PT and get into some rythym...and the flip side of that, if Barry is playing well, Pop won't feel like he has to rush Manu back not completely healty...
> 
> Glad to get a win...will be even more glad when we are healthy...


The regular Spurs' team should be back by Wednesday against Minnesota. Although, I'd rather Pop rest them a littke more. Although Tim played pretty well tonight, he was sitting with a heating pad behind his back when he wasn't playing. That doesn't sound like he's 100%. I want Tim at 100% before the playoffs!


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

ezealen said:


> The regular Spurs' team should be back by Wednesday against Minnesota. Although, I'd rather Pop rest them a littke more. Although Tim played pretty well tonight, he was sitting with a heating pad behind his back when he wasn't playing. That doesn't sound like he's 100%. I want Tim at 100% before the playoffs!



who doesnt lol :biggrin:


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

TheRoc5 said:


> who doesnt lol :biggrin:


Phoenix fans?


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

It's been awhile since I've seen Beno have a good game, so having a career game didn't hurt. He only had 2 TO's in 32 minutes and got 25 points on 13 FGA's. Very nice. I'm glad we were able to rest Duncan for this game, so now he's got a full day off tomorrow and should be ready to go against KG and the Wolves. Barry did have a nice game. About time is all I can say. Bowen with 18 points on only 8 FGA's. Besides being a hacker, Naz was pretty good in this game. He's basically been what I expected. Nice team win with a lot of people chipping in, but it was Beno's night tonight.



San Antonio Leaders:


Beno Udrih - 25
Tim Duncan - 18
Bruce Bowen - 18
Brent Barry - 17


Rebounds:


Tim Duncan - 13
Brent Barry - 5
Nazr Mohammed - 5
Udrih, Horry, Brown - 4


Assists:


Brent Barry - 7
Devin Brown - 6
Beno Udrih - 4
Mike Wilks - 4


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## XxMia_9xX (Oct 5, 2002)

good win! dude parker better play on wednesday 'cuz i haven't seen the spurs play in like a month. finally they televise a spurs game but parker wont play? that sux! so yea hopefully by wednesday he's good....


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

Its really good to see Barry and Beno have good games. I was kind of worried that those two guys wouldn't ever get their groove back. Although Mohammed has played well of late, I still wholeheartedly support Rasho as our starting center. Its also good to see TD play well, even when he isn't at 100%. Hopefully come playoff time, we have all our injury problems fixed and we are ready to win a NBA championship.


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## TMTTRIO (Mar 10, 2005)

Great game by the bench tonight (we really needed them to come through). I hope they can carry this through on Wednesday against Minnesota because it looks like Manu and Tony aren't going to play on Wednesday either 

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...YSA031505.4D.BKNspurs.notebook.13bf338fd.html

Backcourt tandem doubtful vs. Wolves: Ginobili's groin, Parker's thigh remain sore spots 
Web Posted: 03/15/2005 12:00 AM CST 

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer 

*Spurs coach Gregg Popovich isn't optimistic about Manu Ginobili's chances of playing Wednesday against Minnesota. * 
Ginobili has missed the past three games with a groin strain he suffered a week ago in the Spurs' victory over New Jersey. 

"He says his shoulder contusion, his calf contusion and his hip pointer — everything else that was bothering him is fine," Popovich said. "If you ask him how his groin is, he says it's a little better but still tight." 

Tony Parker, who missed his first game of the season Monday with a left quadriceps contusion, is questionable to play against the Timberwolves. But Popovich thinks he will be able to play by Friday against Charlotte. 

Parker has a knot bigger than a golf ball on his left thigh. 

"I don't think he'll be out as long as Manu's been," Popovich said. "Hopefully, it will loosen up in a couple of days." 

*The rash of injuries hasn't come at a good time, though Popovich said the team is trying to make the best of a bad situation. * 
*"This is when you would like to get on a roll going into the playoffs, so (the injuries) have made it difficult to do that," he said. "But this is the way it is. * 

"We'll take anything good out of it we can get. There are a lot of guys that are getting more minutes. Their effort has been great. 

"Their execution isn't always the best with the odd combinations on the court, but they're playing hard enough to win. I just want to see if they stick with it and continue to improve in execution, understanding that's still the same thing that wins games, whether they're starters or not." 

Maybe next time: Spurs backup point guard Beno Udrih said he's leaning toward not playing for Slovenia's national team in this summer's European Championships. 

Udrih hurt his knee playing for the team last summer and thinks he might need the rest after his first NBA season. 

"Last year was just too much practicing," Udrih said. "When you're not rested enough, you get hurt." 

Udrih said he will have other opportunities to play for the national team. 

Off the bench: Nazr Mohammed had his second consecutive productive game, contributing eight points, five rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. 

Mohammed said he feels significantly better since he missed four games to recover from a groin strain. Popovich has noticed. 

"He has a real knack for the ball, he's a good rebounder, and he moves well defensively," Popovich said. "We like what we've seen." 

Bench time: After scoring a career-best 25 points in his last appearance against the Spurs, New Orleans rookie shooting guard J.R. Smith spent much of Monday evening watching from the sideline. 

Smith started but played only nine minutes until Hornets coach Byron Scott sat him. Smith never re-entered the game. 

"I was upset in his defensive play, and I was upset with his attitude," Scott said. "At 19 years old, if he's going to act like that, he's going to sit down for a while." 



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## mr_french_basketball (Jul 3, 2003)

*my ratings*

Udrih : 10/10
Barry : 9/10
Bowen : 9/10
Duncan : 9/10
Brown : 8/10
Horry : 8/10
Massenburg : 7/10
Mohammed : 6/10
Wilks : 6 /10
Nesterovic : 5/10


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

TMTTRIO said:


> Great game by the bench tonight (we really needed them to come through). I hope they can carry this through on Wednesday against Minnesota because it looks like Manu and Tony aren't going to play on Wednesday either
> 
> http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...YSA031505.4D.BKNspurs.notebook.13bf338fd.html
> 
> ...





I was wondering why JR Smith didn't play much. I guess it's good to see Scott is going to punish him for not bringing it every night, because it should help him in the long wrong. 



As for the Parker and Manu injuries, it's pretty frustrating. Not at them of course, but just at the fact our best 3 players can't seem to get healthy and stay healthy. 




As for Beno not playing for the Slovenian team, that's more good news....for Spurs fans at least. Parker took the summer off and is playing the best ball of his career.


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