Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each tallied 31 points, while Tim Duncan pitched in with 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Spurs beat the Hornets 110-99 in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday night in San Antonio.
"We know that going 3-0 — it's never been done to come back like that," said Ginobili, who along with Parker consistently got to the rim. "Today, for us, it was a Game 7. We knew if we didn't win today, it was almost over. So we had a different approach. We played with more passion, more edge."
Ginobili, the league's No. 1 sixth man, started for the first time this postseason and led a Spurs charge early in the final quarter.
The Hornets still have a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is Sunday night in San Antonio.
Chris Paul, still almost unstoppable, led the Hornets with 35 points and nine assists. David West had 23 points and 12 rebounds for New Orleans, which was dominant in the first two games of the series.
"They made a lot more shots," Paul said. "We got away from our defensive game plan somewhat. We didn't defend as well as we did the first two games."
Ginobili, the league's top sixth man, started for the first time this postseason and led a Spurs charge early in the final quarter.
Peja Stojakovic, the Hornets'3-point sharpshooter, was held to eight points on 2-of-7 shooting as he was guarded by San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen.
Source: Xinhua/Agencies
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article