Spurs cure ills with Hornets: Ejection gives Popovich early night in easy victory
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Web Posted: 01/20/2007 12:24 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Perhaps all is not lost for the Spurs. If Friday night was any indication, they just might be able to solidify their defense and find a couple consistent shot-makers in time to make a serious run at Dallas or Phoenix.
Of course, the
Spurs are also probably going to have a hard time convincing the New Orleans Hornets to play them for the next 41 games, so who knows where they're headed. But they've at least reached the midpoint of their schedule, and they did so by beating the Hornets 99-86 at the AT&T Center, and these days that counts as progress.
Coach Gregg Popovich didn't get to stay for the finish, and barely even the start, after being ejected less than six minutes into the game. He retired to his office and watched on TV as his team won for the first time in three games, getting 23 points from
Tony Parker and 19 from
Manu Ginobili.
The
Spurs still couldn't correct their errant 3-point shooting (7 of 26), but they at least hit a couple of timely ones and their defense held firm long enough to beat the depleted Hornets, who have been kind enough to appear on the schedule whenever the local team has been in need of a pick-me-up.
"I thought there were a lot more good signs for us tonight,"
Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said, "but we have a long ways to go, there's no question about that."
The
Spurs had to go most of Friday with Carlesimo guiding them. Popovich picked up his first technical foul for yelling at referee Joe DeRosa after the official called a foul on
Tim Duncan for bumping Hornets center Tyson Chandler. Popovich took his seat, but continued to bark at referee Tim Donaghy, who was standing near the bench.
Donaghy calmly stared at the opposite end of the court as Popovich voiced his complaint about the "(expletive) call." But when Popovich shouted, "Yeah, I'm talking to you," that seemed to be all Donaghy needed to hear. He turned and ejected the coach.
"I think he wanted a tech because if Timmy gets that foul every time someone bumps up against him, he's going to shoot about 85 free throws in the game," Carlesimo said. "I don't think he minded the first tech, but I don't think he was looking to go.
"He wasn't looking to come in and watch the game. We thought the game was an important game for us."
The game was important to the
Spurs because it had been preceded by losses to Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers that dropped them 51/2 games behind the Mavericks in the Southwest Division. After Wednesday's loss, the
Spurs decided they needed to start focusing less on the officials and more on themselves.
"Against the Lakers we talked way too much," Ginobili said. "(The referees) make mistakes the same way we do.
"Coaches can do whatever they want, but we just have to worry about playing."
While Popovich handled the Spurs' complaints, the Hornets had two players ejected in the game's final minute, one of whom wasn't even in uniform. After Desmond Mason was tossed for shouting and slamming the ball to the court, injured point guard Chris Paul was shown the exit for saying, of all things, "That's crazy."
Though still missing Paul and Peja Stojakovic, the Hornets were happy to welcome back a couple of their other ailing teammates. Forward David West, who had missed the past 30 games with a right elbow injury, was a surprise addition to the starting lineup. Guard Bobby Jackson, a longtime
Spurs killer, also returned after missing more than 20 games with cracked ribs.
West finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Jackson had 14 points off the bench, but New Orleans shot just 41 percent. Duncan anchored the defense by blocking four shots and taking 16 rebounds to go along with the 12 points he scored.
Aware that the
Spurs haven't been able to hit an open perimeter shot in about a week, the Hornets' double-teamed Duncan much of the night, limiting him to just two first-half points, and those came on a pair of free throws. Michael Finley helped loosen the defense a bit by making his first three shots. He finished with 14 points.
Center Francisco Elson, who had been sidelined since injuring his right shoulder on Dec. 26, was greeted by an enthusiastic cheer when he stepped onto the court early in the second quarter. He made his first shot, a midrange jumper, and finished with four points, two rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes.
"I felt like a little kid out there running around," Elson said. "But (the season)'s starting to get serious, so hopefully I'll do better next time."
The rest of the
Spurs hope to do the same.
"We didn't play brilliant," Ginobili said. "But we made some progress."