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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana: David West scored a playoff career-high 30
points to spark the New Orleans Hornets past San Antonio 101-82
Saturday in the opener of their National Basketball Association
playoff series.
Serbian sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic added 22
points while playmaker Chris Paul scored 17 points and passed out 13
assists to spark the Hornets as they won easily to start the Western
Conference best-of-7 second round series.
The Hornets, who split four regular-season
meetings with the Spurs, showed why they had the second-best record
in the West, overpowering the reigning NBA champions in the second
half.
San Antonio’s Tim Duncan equaled a career low
with only 5 points, hitting only 1-of-9 shots from the field thanks
to impressive and tenacious defense from the Hornets, who swarmed
the All-Star forward like their insect namesakes.
“We don’t want to give him any easy
baskets,” West said. “We want to keep two or three guys running
at him the entire series.”
The Hornets, who had 15 rebounds and 10 points
from Tyson Chandler, went on a 13-0 run to seize a 61-54 lead in the
third quarter, a run of six successful shots in a row capped by a
3-pointer from Stojakovic.
The Spurs, seeking their fifth title in 10
seasons, have become the symbol of everything the Hornets, a
long-struggling team that moved from Charlotte only to spend two
seasons at Oklahoma City because of Hurricane Katrina.
French guard Tony Parker led the Spurs with 23
points while Argentine guard Manu Ginobili came off the bench to
score 19 points and Bruce Bowen added 17 for San Antonio, which will
try to equalize in Game 2 on Monday.
“No excuses. No concern,” Ginobili said.
“We’re just going to try to fight and play a better game.”
In Detroit, Chauncey Billups scored 19 points
and Richard Hamilton added 17 to lead the Detroit Pistons past
Orlando, 91-72. But the biggest loss for the Magic was injured
center Dwight Howard.
The Pistons, seeded second in the Eastern
Conference, won their eighth consecutive playoff game against
Orlando in the first game of the best-of-7 second round series.
Detroit swept the Magic in round one last season.
Detroit opened the fourth quarter with a 15-4
run to seize command for good after the Magic lost Howard with 42
seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Howard, who contributed only 12 points and 8
rebounds, injured his left hand while trying to grab a rebound.
Losing the All-Star center for any length of time against the
perennial power Pistons could doom the Magic’s title hopes.
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