Game 2 Recap
Charles Barkley summed up the essence of game two of the Hornets-Spurs series when he said that the best defensive team over the last decade went to a zone to contain New Orleans’ Chris Paul. The Spurs had no answer for the leagues preeminent young point guard who recorded his third 30-point and 10-assist game of this post season on a night where David West and Tyson Chandler combined for 15 points on 4 for 13 shooting.

After losing game one by 19, the Spurs came out in the first half of game two playing extremely well. Their ball movement was great, they played great defense and Tim Duncan was involved early. However, they only went into the half with a one point lead which didn’t bode well with their confidence because the Hornets came out in the third and outscored them 36-18.

Paul, like game one, took over the third quarter scoring 11 points and dishing out four assists. Peja Stojakovic added 12 of his 25 points in the quarter and Morris Peterson uncharacteristically added seven points in the quarter. More importantly, they held Duncan to 1 for 5 shooting in the quarter with two points and two turnovers.

The Spurs attempted 27 three-pointers in the game, seven more than their season average. Tony Parker was never able to get going in the game. He had a tough time getting into the lane having his first attempt in the paint midway through the second quarter, and making his first lay up of the game late in the third. Manu Ginobili was not as effective in game two as he was in game one scoring only 13 points and was 1 for 5 from behind the three-point line.

Game three is more than just pivotal for the Spurs who are down 0-2 in a seven game series for the first time since 2001. They’re going to have to find a way to neutralize Chris Paul without giving up big numbers to everyone else on the team. They’re also going to have to defend Stojakovic who is averaging 23.5 points per game in this series. Duncan is going to have to be big and Parker is going to have to put more pressure on Paul when he has the ball in his hands. There shouldn’t be any reason why Parker isn’t taking more than three shots inside of the paint. San Antonio’s bench is also going to have to come up bigger than they did in game two. If it weren’t for Brent Barry, the Spurs would have shot a mere 4 for 22 from behind the three-point line. Fabricio Oberto and Ime Udoka have to have better games.

The Hornets have to continue to do what they’ve been doing. They need to keep up their defensive intensity and keep the ball in Paul’s hands. If they let San Antonio’s crowd get into the game early, it could be a long night for Byron Scott’s team. If West and Chandler continue to rebound at the rate they have during the first two games, they can very well be on their way to a 3-0 lead against the defending champions.

Submit Your Comments About This Series

Game 1 Recap
Much like the Hornets’ first round series against the Mavericks, this series is bound to boil down to the play of the point guards and the power forwards as this series progresses, and game one was just a slight glimpse of what is to come over the next three to six games. And much like the first game of the Mavs-Hornets series, the second half seemed like a completely different game in relation to the first.

Chris Paul and David West of the Hornets out scored, out rebounded and out assisted two of the last three NBA Finals’ MVPs on Saturday night in game one of the first Western Conference Semi-Final match up as the Hornets ran away with game one with a very convincing victory over the defending champs.

The first quarter saw each team take a big run. The Hornets held the Spurs scoreless until 7:36 left in the quarter scoring the first eight points of the game. After a couple of Tony Parker free-throws to get the Spurs on the board, Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen both caught fire. They both hit three 3-pointers in the quarter and Ginobili finished the quarter 4 for 4 from the field with eleven points.

During the break at the end of the first, the Hornets mascot jumped through a ring of fire, and failed attempts at putting the fire out along with the use of conventional fire extinguishers led to a 19 minute break between the first and second quarters. Coming out of the break Hornets’ coach Byron Scott decided to go with his regular rotation while Spurs’ coach Greg Popovich decided to leave his starters in the game feeling that a 19-minute rest was long enough.

The Hornets’ reserves against the Spurs’ starters went scoreless during the first five possessions of the second quarter helping the Spurs build an eight-point lead. The Hornets made a run after this to take a one-point lead, but a trio of threes from Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley were a part of a 14-2 run that opened up an 11-point lead, the Spurs largest lead of the game.

The second half opened up with a Hornets 13-0 run and they scored on eight of their first nine possessions. Tim Duncan finished the quarter shooting 1 for 8… for the game and just 1 for 9 over all. Tyson Chandler spent his time on the floor guarding Duncan, but the Hornets swarmed Duncan sending double teams from an array of angles never allowing him to get into a rhythm.

After hot shooting from Bowen in the first half, he finished the game with the 17 he scored to start off the game. The Hornets outscored the Spurs by 23 in the second half. West led all scorers with 30 points. Peja Stojakovic added 22 and Paul had 17 with 13 assists. Bonzi Wells added 10 off the bench with eight of his points coming in the fourth.

Expect the Spurs to come out ready to play in game two of this series. I don’t think the Hornets can count on Tim Duncan attempting only nine shots with five points. The last time the Spurs went down 2-0 in a series they were swept by the Lakers in 2001 in the Western Conference Finals, a team that only lost one post-season game. Game two is crucial for both teams. The Spurs can’t go back to San Antonio down 2-0 and the Hornets do not want to give up home court to a team as experienced as the Spurs.

Submit Your Comments About This Series

Prediction for the Series- Spurs in 6 games

Point Guard - Chris Paul vs. Tony Parker
	Chris Paul was brilliant against the Mavericks in round 1 and really embarrassed Jason Kidd. He'll be able to do that offensively against Tony Parker (assuming Bowen doesn't guard him) but he'll have to work really hard to defend Mr. Longoria.		Tony Parker is really the most underrated component of this team. If he's knocking down his 18-foot jumper then nobody in this league is going to be able to guard him. He will have defend Chris Paul at some point and that may be the difference.
Slight Advantage - Chris Paul
Shooting Guard - Morris Peterson vs. Michael Finley
	Morris Peterson is going to have to be valuable to the Hornets for them to make some noise. Part of that will be his defense against Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley and part of that will be his ability to knock down deep shots.		Michael Finley is as cool as they come in pressure situations. He'll be no different in this series. Expect him to be good but nothing spectacular as he hits key shot after key shot in helping the Spurs win games.
Slight Advantage - Michael Finley
Small Forward - Peja Stojakovic vs. Bruce Bowen
	Peja Stojakovic has to play like the $60 million man that they signed away from the Indiana Pacers. He's historically great in the first three quarters of games but when it comes to the fourth quarter he HAS to be an assassin and be able to get his shot off against Bruce Bowen.		Bruce will probably spend a lot of time covering Chris Paul, which will be the key to the Spurs winning this series. The Spurs have to contain Chris Paul's penetration and playmaking in order to stifle the Hornets' attack. Bowen will be the key to this winning factor.
Slight Advantage - Peja Stojakovic
Power Forward - David West vs. Tim Duncan
	David West made his first All Star team this year and may end up giving Tim Duncan more than most experts assume. West's ability to hit the 18-foot jumper means that Duncan will be pulled away from the basket, which will open up things for the guards.		Tim Duncan's clutch performances against the Suns were just a glimmer of what this guy means to the Spurs. He's going to have to execute in the post and score at will to truly affect this series. If he can out rebound Chandler, play his usual defense and make the big plays, the Spurs will move on.
Advantage - Tim Duncan
Center - Tyson Chandler vs. Fabricio Oberto
	Tyson Chandler will most likely be matched up against Tim Duncan or playing in a psuedo zone to help against Duncan from the weakside. His ability to move around in the paint and run the floor for lobs from Paul will be a necessity.		Oberto needs to give the Spurs 18 minutes of mistake free basketball. If he can do that, get a couple of points and not mess up on any defensive assignments, then he should prove to be a valuable piece of the reserve players.
Advantage - Tyson Chandler
Hornets' Bench vs. Spurs' Bench
	Bonzi Wells has been a key component to low post scoring off the bench, but Jannero Pargo and Julian Wright may mean more in this series. Wright's emergence as an energizer and Pargo's shooting will need to be top notch to win.		The most veteran and the best clutch peforming bench in the playoffs will need to just do what they do every year. Kurt Thomas and Manu should be starters and the fact that they come off the bench show you how deep the Spurs attack will be.
Advantage - Spurs Bench
Coaching - Byron Scott vs. Gregg Popovich
	The 2007-2008 Coach of the Year has had plenty of success in the playoffs throughout his career. His 29-16 record includes two trips to the Finals and he'll need to keep his rotations tight and his play calling precise to make a third trip.		What else can you say about Pop? He's the best coach in the league and the best coach of the past 15 years. A series win in this round will give him 100 career playoff wins against just 52 losses. Popovich will always outcoach the opposing brain trust.
Advantage - Gregg Popovich