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Spurring Forward; defending champs advance to West finals

Mon 19th, May 2008

New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and hit all six of his free throws in the final minute, as the Spurs moved into the Western Conference finals with a 91-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.

The Spurs, who nearly blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, became the only team to win a road game in the semifinal series and the defending NBA champions did it at the perfect time, in the decisive Game 7, denying the Hornets their first trip to the conference finals.

Instead, San Antonio will be on the road to take on the Lakers, starting Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Tim Duncan contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs, who rallied after losing the first two games and continued their quest for a fifth championship in 10 years. Tony Parker added 17 points and hit a crucial shot in the final minute.

"It was a huge collective effort, especially defensively," Ginobili said. "To keep these guys in this building to 82 points is not easy. We are very proud of what we accomplished today."

It is the first time in Spurs franchise history that a team has come back from a 2-0 deficit to win. The Spurs became just the 14th team out of 213 squads to come back and win after trailing 2-0 in a best-of-seven series.

David West, fighting through a back injury, had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets. Jannero Pargo scored 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Chris Paul ended with 18 points, eight rebounds and 14 assists in the losing effort. Tyson Chandler scored 13 and pulled down 15 rebounds.

"With all the success we've had this season a lot of people didn't people didn't expect us to be where we are," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "Just like I told the guys, you don't go from not making the playoffs to winning the championship. It just doesn't work that way, but I think we've developed something here, special. Obviously we have to add some pieces to the puzzle."

Ime Udoka's three-pointer moved the Spurs to a 78-64 lead with just over eight minutes remaining, but later the Hornets scored seven unanswered to get within 81-77 following two Pargo free throws with barely over three minutes left.

A Pargo three-ball from the right wing had the Hornets within 83-80 with 1:35 to go, and after Duncan missed from the left baseline, New Orleans had a chance to tie. However, Pargo's wide open three from the left corner didn't fall.

Parker responded by sinking a big shot from the left side with 50.1 seconds remaining.

"That was the shot of the game," Ginobili said. "We got lucky with Pargo's three from the corner that would have tied the game."

Paul then missed a layup, and Ginobili sealed the victory with his 6-for-6 performance at the charity stripe down the stretch.

The Hornets were left with the sour taste, falling to 0-5 in second-round series.

"Everyone was upset in the locker room, but one thing D. West said, we'll be right back here next year," Paul said. "I think that's something we'll take into the summer and something that will be in the back of our minds."

The Spurs led 23-20 after one quarter, although there was some controversy at the conclusion. Paul tried a shot from three-quarters court, but was bumped by Ginobili. Officials huddled to watch a replay and determined the infraction came after the buzzer sounded, and the Spurs kept the three-point edge.

Bruce Bowen's shot from beyond the arc widened San Antonio's lead to 33-23 with over seven minutes left in the half. It became 36-25 after a Parker free throw, but the Hornets buzzed back with the next 11 points, going ahead on a Peja Stojakovic jumper with 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the quarter.

The Spurs bounced back with an ensuing 13-1 run. Ginobili hit a trio of three- pointers during the flurry, including the one that ended it for a 49-38 margin with 1:04 left in the period. It was 51-42 at the half.

San Antonio held a sizeable lead throughout the third, boosting the advantage to 71-54 in the final minute following a pair of Ginobili free throws. West responded with a jam in the waning seconds of the quarter.

Game Notes

This was the first time following a Spurs championship that they made it past the Western Conference semifinals...The Spurs shot 39.5 percent from the field, compared to 40.2 for New Orleans...San Antonio was 12-of-28 from three- point range, while the Hornets ended 4-of-17 from beyond the arc...San Antonio held a 51-42 rebounding advantage...The loss snapped a nine-game playoff win streak for the Hornets dating back to the 2004 postseason...Ginobili was 10- of-11 at the foul line...San Antonio's Robert Horry played in his ninth Game 7, ranking him second in NBA playoff history. Bill Russell holds the record with 10...The win was the 100th in the playoffs for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, moving him into a tie with Larry Brown for third on the all-time list.

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