Alright, so we've got Game 6 in San Antonio tonight. The Spurs need the win to stay alive and force a deciding Game 7 on Monday. Victory for the Hornets would put us in the Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Tyson Chandler and David West are apparently healthy enough to lace 'em up and give us good minutes, so hopefully we'll put an end to the road woes and advance to the happy times tonight.
Stuff to know...
Game Time: 8:00pm Central.
TV: ESPN nationwide.
Radio: KMEZ 102.9 FM in New Orleans and the super-fantastic WIBR 1300-AM in Baton Rouge.
Linkage:
- Ryan Schwan: Explaining the blowouts and what to watch for in Game 6
- Our latest news wrap
- What's more distracting than a cutout of Eva Longoria? How about this?
- Spurs blogs: 48 Minutes of Hell | Pounding the Rock | Project Spurs
I'm feeling strangely confident ahead of this one, and methinks I've finally figured out why. You see, pretty much nobody expects the Hornets to win tonight, just like nobody expected us to win the Southwest division, nobody expected David West to be an All-Star, nobody expected Chris Paul to be an MVP candidate, nobody expected Byron Scott to be Coach of the Year, and nobody expected the Hornets to knock off the Mavericks in the first round.
So expect the unexpected, and know that we got this.
[UPDATE] Or maybe we don't got this. Another blow out win for the home team, as the Hornets fall, 99-80. Game 7 is in New Orleans on Monday.
60 mighty comments post your own
Matt
05/15/08 01:18 PM
From your mouth to god's ears..... GEAUX BEES!
#1
ticktock6
05/15/08 01:29 PM
I saw ESPN picked the Spurs again and I EMBRACE IT.
www.hornetshype.com #2
Anonymous
05/15/08 02:21 PM
Look at this link tell me what you guys think of this. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/22893-Utah-Jazz-The-Most-Disgusting-Fans-In-The-NBA
#3
Ron Hitley
05/15/08 02:47 PM
@ Anonymous: Yeah, sorry about the links not working properly in the comments. I'd agree with some of the commenters at Bleacher Report that the people in Utah making those gestures and chanting racial slurs and such are a very small proportion of Jazz fans. It's a pity they give everyone else such a bad name. If I was Larry Miller (owner of the Jazz), I'd do all I could to figure out who the offenders are and have them blacklisted from Jazz games.
www.hornets247.com #4
Ron Hitley
05/15/08 03:00 PM
By the way, I'm heading to the airport tonight if the Hornets win. If anybody wants to come along, let me know.
www.hornets247.com #5
Dejan
05/15/08 03:03 PM
lets go hornets
#6
Juncti
05/15/08 03:14 PM
Gotta question the smarts of the Spurs arena people playing the Undertaker's theme song for the Hornets entrance. Perhaps a signal of things to come as the Hornets bury the Spurs season.
#7
Dejan
05/15/08 03:17 PM
yeaa peja thats what i been waiting to see, cmon defence.
#8
Dejan
05/15/08 03:36 PM
bonzi wells is horrible, no offnce to all the people that might like him, but I hate the guy.
#9
kal
05/15/08 03:47 PM
Why did they trade for Bonzi again? thought he sucked in Houston too.... Spurs are blistering from the field tonight... i do hope the Hornets will catch up soon!
#10
Ron Hitley
05/15/08 04:17 PM
Down only 7 at the half, despite the Spurs shooting 56% from the field. We're giving them a lot of open looks but they're also knocking down some tough ones. Chris Paul looks like losing is not an option tonight. Dude is putting on a show. I like how we're posting him up on Parker; it's working well. Nice job by Duncan on West. We need to get him in the pick and roll and try create some mismatches to get him going. Yeah, Bonzi was bad out there. He's not playing his game at all. Since when does he settle for fadeaway jumpers? Leading at the half has been a bad omen in this series, so hopefully that will hold true tonight.
www.hornets247.com #11
Steve H
05/15/08 04:18 PM
Down seven at the half- but I still feel good about our play so far.Rebounding and protecting the ball well. Could be rotating defensively a little better- but it mainly feels like they've just been a little luckier with their shots. Lets go Hornets and drive a stake through their hearts!
#12
mW
05/15/08 04:21 PM
I too am optimistic. I feel very similar to Game 5, that they are hitting some tough shots (although with some easy ones in Q1 too), and we're missing shots we normally make. Doesn't mean we WILL will, but I think it means we CAN. Plus, Byron gives a mean halftime talk.
hornetshype.com #13
ticktock6
05/15/08 04:38 PM
WTF w/ the touch fouls?
hornetshype.com #14
mW
05/15/08 04:41 PM
Wow. Four fouls and a tech in a 40 second span. Most could have been no calls. And at least two no-call fouls/travels on the other end. Nice they they don't want the players to decide the game.
hornetshype.com #15
mW
05/15/08 04:47 PM
On the flip side, Jeff Van Gundy has made me laugh out loud at least three times tonight...
hornetshype.com #16
Emir lidan
05/15/08 05:03 PM
refs win the game for the spurs wow wonder how much they got paid
#17
Chris C
05/15/08 05:04 PM
That might have been the most frustrating quarter of basketball I have seen in awhile. It seemed like the spurs gave us every opportunity to take this one, and we just said nah that is ok.
#18
ticktock6
05/15/08 05:04 PM
FYI: free throws by the Hornets in Q3: zero.
hornetshype.com #19
Steve H
05/15/08 05:04 PM
Coach should have sat David to rest his back. He's trying to tough it out- but he couldn't throw it in the ocean tonight. Pargo and Wells have been extremely disapointing all series. Tyson and CP3 have been phenomenal- but they can't do it alone. Guess we'll have to wait till monday.
#20
john
05/15/08 05:04 PM
Wow, horrible stretch there may have just doomed the Hornets. Pargo takes 3 bad shots in a row, and the Spurs extend it to 15. Spurs seem like they are making every 3, I still don't understand why they don't single Duncan at least in SA. I don't mind giving them the 3's on the road, but the Spurshave shown they will make at least 50% of there 3's at home. Now its too late, they just have to hope the Spurs go cold from 3 and make a late run.
anytimeweather.com #21
mW
05/15/08 05:09 PM
I love Robert Horry, really I do, but if you watched that replay of his foul on D-West, he very subtly pushed him in the back. That wasn't just a dirty play. It was mean. He knew the guy was injured and banged his back. The man is 6'10", don't be fooled that that's a "small push" any more than when other big guys in the league do it. Sure, that's the risk you take when you play the game injured, but on Horry's part, you're up by 23. I'm not mad. Because I'm going to relish in your demise on Monday.
hornetshype.com #22
Chris C
05/15/08 05:11 PM
I am watching the game with my dad right now, and I don't think someone can hate a player more than he hates Robert Horry. He is convinced that Pop sent Horry out there to do that on purpose. After all the spurs fans saying we are bush league and classless, I think it is shameful that they are chanting his name after he hurt a guy.
#23
atthehive
05/15/08 05:11 PM
mW, why do you love Horry? He's been consistently dirty through his career. I can't describe how mad I am right now.
atthehive.com #24
john
05/15/08 05:12 PM
As I was writing, things go from bad to worse Ginobili opens the 4th w/ two 3's and David West is laying on his stomach, holding his back and not getting up. Horry gave him a cheap shot knowingWest's back has been hurting. Spurs fans are even chanting Horry, Horry bc they know it may have given them a chance to win game 7. Hornets need to get Ely or someone off the bench and take out one of the Spurs big 3.
anytimeweather.com #25
Dejan
05/15/08 05:17 PM
we lost this game because of our stupid F**** doubling of duncan. I dont even care, just hopeing that dwest will be alright, we got a big break now til monday to prepar.
#26
Matt
05/15/08 05:20 PM
Guys, welcome them back for me. I cant make it but I wish I could.
#27
Mark
05/15/08 05:22 PM
I normally don't denounce anybody, but Robert Horry is a fucking bitch. If Ceiling Fan gets called for a foul on TP last game for setting a pick, Robert Horry should be called for that too. Flagrant/suspension: no. But the refs need to at least be consistent with bad calls if that's what Stern wanted. As opposed to mW, I've grown continuously angry on Horry's gameplay. He's no longer athletic, so he uses his body to ram into people. When people start using old man strength to underhandedly aggravate players, it's absolutely dangerous and uncalled for every time. Even in pickup games, I hate old men who can't keep up because they start doing illegal shit on court. Otherwise, not too bad of a game (from what I saw), but per the usual, bad rotation = Spurs on fire, plus our shots are horrendous. At this rate, the only thing I'm hoping for is for our players to heal. Because if we're injured, we're back to being a 40-win team, which is not going to fare well this round, next round, or next season even.
#28
Chris C
05/15/08 05:22 PM
I wish I could go down to the airport tonight. I think if anyone can they should still go.
#29
Kal
05/15/08 05:26 PM
There will be a game 7... i hope the crowd will get going and that we win by 30 in game 7...
#30
Kal
05/15/08 05:27 PM
Game 6 hurts.
#31
Matt
05/15/08 05:28 PM
Ill be at Game 7 and Ill be screaming for 48 minutes
#32
Mark
05/15/08 05:28 PM
Regarding fans cheering for Horry, I don't really blame them. I don't particularly like San Antonio (I've been, so don't tell me your Riverwalk isn't brown, dirty and infested when you know it is), but we did the same thing. We cheered when Bruce Bowen was falsifying an injury, rolling around on the ground (game... 1?). Granted he was faking as usual, but if he were really hurt, we'd probably still be cheering. I would, and Szczerbiak would too. Classless fans are everywhere. I'm actually surprised the whole NBA brawl thing doesn't happen more often. If I dictated the mob, I'd be throwing my beer every game against my least favourite teams, no matter if we were up or down.
#33
john
05/15/08 05:30 PM
I can't beleive the announcers are discounting that play by Horry as tough basketball. The NBA needs to institute a rule that will stop that crap. If a scrub player like Horry maliciously tries to injure a star player like West, the offending teamshould lose their best player for the next game. I think the NBA may actually suspend Horry for that BS if the Hornets complain, but what does that hurt the Spurs. Same situation as the Suns last year. The NFL protects QB's why can't the NBA protect their stars from cheap shot artists like the Spurs. If u don't believe me go to YouTube and type Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry into the search engine and you will find videos of cheap shots and intent to injure.
anytimeweather.com #34
Ron Hitley
05/15/08 05:32 PM
Game 7 it is then. A few key things cost us the ball game. I'm gonna get stuck into a recap. No airport for me tonight, though I feel our guys do deserve a crowd out there. I was proud of how they played.
www.hornets247.com #35
NOEngineer
05/15/08 05:57 PM
Somebody please explain how Bruce Bown can be backpedaling 2 feet inside the stupid half circle and drawthat firstoffensive foul on CP???????? Earlier Pargo was planted outside the circle and got run over by Oduko and got called for the block. After that run of 5 fouls in 2 minutes the Hornets stopped playing defense and stopped driving to the basket. I wanted to strangle my television listening to the announcers praise Robert Horry's "clever" defense. You could see both his fists balled up in David's lower back, and a full-body thrust digging them in. Apparently that's "clever"...
#36
Krukow
05/15/08 06:07 PM
Hey, spurs fan here. While I think the Horry play was just solid, old-school basketball, the "horry" chants after that were bullshit. I apologize for my language and for my fellow fans. I hope West can go for game 7 so that we can find out which team is the best and so that the best team can win this series.
#37
ticktock6
05/15/08 06:07 PM
@ NOEngineer: You know those dudes all talk about the 80's and how you sent a thug in off the bench to do your business all the time... so basically when they said that, it was a tactful way of saying, yes, it was dirty. OK, though, seriously... does anyone want to go to the airport anyway and have some beers and wait for the team? Cause I'm thinking about doing it. Show of support, etc.
www.hornetshype.com #38
mW
05/15/08 06:21 PM
Hey, Krukow, thanks for being honest. I've said the same thing about Duncan and Ginobli, I want them to be healthy so we can find out who really is the best. I'm the anomaly here, who likes Horry, who likes the Spurs, but is a diehard Hornets fan who wants them to die right now. I've already taken heat for defending the Spurs and/or Horry, but not tonight. Not any more. Horry took a cheap shot with the game over, which means he and/or Pop were consciously thinking about how to win Game 7. This after the refs handed the Spurs the third quarter. I've thought about this and gone back and forth, and while every fan always thinks the refereeing is bad when it goes against your team, I am convinced that they cost us the game tonight. The Hornets came out hard, made several good stops in the top of the third, made some shots themselves, only to have the refs call a bunch of tick-tack fouls, when everyone has been saying all along that you can't look for fouls in the playoffs because refs will let the players play. But, that said, bring it game 7. Spurs fans can equivocate all they want, despairing when down 2-0 or 3-2, but I've said from the beginning that any of the "experts" who expected us to lose in 7 are crazy. The Hornets know what home court is, and so do the 18,000+ who will be there.
hornetshype.com #39
Spurs Fan
05/15/08 06:21 PM
Kind of ironic, if you would look at the spurs blog after game 5 you would hear the same complaints. Refs suck it up, no free throws in the third, Hornets are a dirty team abusing Parker. I read ya'lls that the Spurs were just faking everytime they went down, I'm sure I will see that West is faking tomorrow. You may say that about Horry, but we can say that about Ely and Bonzi. Shit goes both ways. And Mark our river may be brown, on St. Patty's day its green, but that doesn't matter because the beer is still cold and the margaritas flow nonstop.
#40
Willis
05/15/08 06:25 PM
As a Kings fan, Robert Horry is my most hated NBA player. Sorry the Hornets fans have experienced one of the reasons why I would slap him in the face, but you guys are like the 5th fanbase to feel that way. Danny Fortson used to do that kind of crap that Horry did. When Pedrag was in Sacto, his pinky was hurting one game, and everytime Fortson went out on a switch, he'd slap at the ball, and Peja had to go out of the game after avout the 12th time he got mugged. Oh well.
www.dimemag.com #41
Spurs Fan
05/15/08 06:27 PM
Just heard Chris Paul's interview saying he couldn't believe the Spurs fan were chanting "Horry" when West went down. He must have forgotten about the Hornets fan Booing Parker when he went down, but I'm sure Parker was the one faking it huh. Like I said shit goes both ways
#42
ticktock6
05/15/08 06:30 PM
Spurs fan, Bonzi and Ely have hardly played. Gonna give that a big huge WHAT-EV. When a tough dude like West looks like he is on the verge of tears in pain for 4+ quarters, I'll go out on a limb and say it's not quite the same thing as Bowen falling over, then bouncing happily back up 2 minutes later. If you seriously think he's faking it, you lack either eyes or a brain.
www.hornetshype.com #43
Kal
05/15/08 06:32 PM
Doesn't anyone remember last year Horry knocking Steve Nash down? There is a reason <strong>why the Spurs are not loved in the NBA outside of San Antonio.</strong>
#44
krukow
05/15/08 06:34 PM
Hey Spurs fan, just because Hornets fans are douchebags who booed tony when he went down doesn't excuse our stupidity. We should never celebrate a guy because he might have hurt someone else. We have 4 rings, we should be classier and better than that.
#45
mW
05/15/08 06:34 PM
Anyone that knows CP can read between the lines in that press conference. He made a "no comment" assertion on the bad calls and then kind of talked in disbelief about the "Horry" chants after the man took D-West out of the game. The man was MAD. He was fucking pissed. And this is what I was talking about when I said the other day that the Hornets needed to play angry. Not the angry they were tonight when they picked up the tech. But the angry like they were in Game 5 when they righteously believed they were the best team and wouldn't be denied. One of my best friends is a Spurs fan, and she and I haven't talked since we text-messaged, "may the best team win" before Game 1. I expect we'll talk after the series. The reason we don't talk is because what would I say to fan who's going to make excuses for how his team "won" a game when the refs gave it to them and when one of their players intentionally injured one of ours? I suspect I'd tell her to go fuck herself. It's why we don't talk. At least not until the Hornets bitchslap the Spurs in Game 7. But I promise, I'll be a gracious winner.
hornetshype.com #46
ticktock6
05/15/08 06:36 PM
Krukow, I don't remember booing Parker. We did boo Bowen though, in Game 1 or 2 when Bonzi hit him across the face. I flat out admit to that. But we boo everyone. It's what we do.
www.hornetshype.com #47
Stefan
05/15/08 06:37 PM
Wow, I wish West didn't even play tonight right now. And that second offensive foul on Chris Paul where he "pushed" Bowen, was a total flop. Bowen realized Chris's hand was on his him and he just sped on and flew on by waving his hands in the air. Wow, the NBA's greatest defender ladies and gentlemen...NOT!
#48
Stefan
05/15/08 06:40 PM
Oh and I just wanna add... As much as I love Peja, he's pissing me off right now. More what Bowen has done to him to throw him off really. Ah well.
#49
Stefan
05/15/08 06:40 PM
Our bench sucks too
#50
Spurs Fan
05/15/08 06:48 PM
krukow, I completely agree with you. I didn't say I liked it, but I was anticipated the bitching from the Hornets fan, so I threw it out there first. And of course the refs were going to get thrown in the mix too so, I had to mention it. Who ever keeps up this site does a good job. Probably the best I've seen from the opposing team yet. The hornets sucks, but this site is OK with me.
#51
krukow
05/15/08 06:54 PM
I do remember parker being booed. It's okay. We proved tonight that en mass, most fans are idiots. Also, I just want to say that I'm not a troll. This site is the best source of news for this series I've found and I enjoy it. Also, the Hornets don't suck. Other than maybe the trailblazers (and whatever team signs lebron), you guys have the brightest future in the nba. U hornets fans are lucky. Here's hoping both teams are healthy and the refs call a good game 7. Let the better team win (whoever that may be!).
#52
Ron Hitley
05/15/08 07:25 PM
I'm disappointed that a lot of Hornets fans here are blaming the refs for the loss tonight. Blame the fouls, yes, but not the refs. Those two offensive fouls on CP were good calls. Bowen might have milked the second one, but if Tony Parker did the same thing we'd be screaming at the TV. You can't use your forearm to push off on a guy like that. I only thought we got called for two iffy fouls tonight. That second one on West in the third quarter was just him fighting through a screen. Because he raised his arm to get around it, the official wrongly assumed he was getting overly physical. The other was that three-point play that Duncan got against Chandler at the end of the third quarter. Tyson actually backed off to avoid the contact, and the replay showed he barely brushed off him. Actually, now I think of it, one of those charges Pargo tried to take in the first quarter looked good to me, too. But hey, shit happens. I'm sure Spurs fans can go back to the first half and find a bunch of calls that their team didn't get. Popovich bitched about the officiating after Game 5 and our response was "yeah, whatever" and rightly so. It's a lame excuse. We can do better than that. I hope Byron cleans up the perimeter defense for Game 7 rather than standing pat and hopping Joey Crawford shows up to save the day.
www.hornets247.com #53
chris
05/15/08 07:29 PM
Anyone thinking of goin' to the airport?
#54
Hakim Drops the Ball!
05/15/08 07:42 PM
Any shot of their being any visa trouble with Manu Ginobli or Tony Parker between now and Monday...? No? Well then...somebody better put up the Crawford Signal!
hakimdropstheball.blogspot.com #55
HAKim Drops the Ball!
05/15/08 07:51 PM
Another question, this one more legit... I'm living out of state and thus had to watch the ESPN feed. A friend of mine back in New Orleans was listening to the COX radio broadcast and heard that after the quick succession of fouls against the Hornets (2 offensive, 1 defensive, 1 offensive again, according to my friend), the Bees took a timeout. During the timeout, the Hornets radio guys were ticked that the head ref was standing on the sidelines laughing it up with Gregg Popovich. You guys hear anything about this?
hakimdropstheball.blogspot.com #56
Mark
05/15/08 07:58 PM
Spurs fan, I already addressed the New Orleans fans booing Bowen's fake injury earlier as well. So technically, you didn't throw the gauntlet first. I am an attention whore, so credit where credit's due. Although the game statistics don't show E for effort, again, the only reason the bees lost was because we shot terribly in the perimeter, and respectively, the Spurs shot incredibly. Ron, I'm with you on the ref judgment. I'm biased as usual, and I know there were shady calls on both ends, but when someone goes down hard on any play due to aforementioned reckless physical plays, I have to take a stance against the guilty party. For instance, I think on April 9, Lamar Odom didn't really deserve a flagrant for his hit on Brandon Roy (who was already nursing a sore back), but his contact with him in the air and Roy's inability to fall properly warranted a call. Youtube it if you don't know and want to know what I'm talking about. If the NBA isn't going to use instant-replay properly, then they need to use harsher judgment calls to prevent the games from becoming testy.
#57
mW
05/16/08 02:03 AM
I'm not sure I buy the whole "chris put his arm out" thing. Did he? Yeah. But look at when and how. They're both moving toward the basket as CP elevates; he takes the shot and extends his arm. It's not to create space, but rather because Bowen has not moved as quickly as him and is now coming under him. CP's looking to brace for the inevitable contact. It's exactly the kind of savvy move one (including refs) should expect from Bowen: to put the offensive player in an awkward situation, and somehow draw a foul even when backpedaling (feet moving), within the defensive circle, and coming under a player (which you cannot do). I didn't buy it last night and I won't buy it today. Listen, I know all die-hard fans ALWAYS complain about calls that go against them. We're all biased. He's the crux of my problem: when an otherwise even game can be decided by a crucial stretch (say several good defensive stops combined with a few money shots) or really close (coming down to the wire, where as little as one possession might turn the game), to see two All-Stars be "dumb" enough to pick up 5 fouls and a tech in 1:23 or so of time, going from a 2-3 point lead (CP made the shot he allegedly fouled Bowen on) to 7 or 11 IS that crucial stretch. That's not right no matter who the beneficiary is. What I'm saying is this, and I've even heard Spurs fans say it: let's keep the refs out of it and just let the better team win on Monday.
hornetshype.com #58
Ron Hitley
05/16/08 02:18 AM
@ mW: Sorry man, but that first offensive foul against Chris Paul was absolutely the right call. He cleared out Bowen in the air with his off arm. You just can't do that. Ridiculously easy call for the refs to make. I too think that flurry of fouls in the third quarter changed the game and gave the Spurs the advantage, but I fault the Hornets for committing them, not the officials for calling them.
www.hornets247.com #59
roland
05/16/08 04:18 AM
Hey Hornet fans! I'm really enjoying reading your comments regarding the series...it should be quite a game 7! Does anyone know the code or password from ticketmaster to buy game 7 tickets early? Thanks!
#60