• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Spurs, Hornets resume rivalry in the Big Easy

Nov 28, 2010 - 3:57 PM (Sports Network) - The last time San Antonio and New Orleans squared off, the Hornets escaped the Alamo City with a victory. Now the two Southwest Division rivals will get together today in the Big Easy.

The Hornets squeezed out a 99-90 win at the AT&T Center on Oct. 30 this season, as Chris Paul recorded 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists in that one. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak in the series for New Orleans, which is still just 5-15 in the previous 20 meetings with the Spurs.

San Antonio, the only team to sweep the Hornets in a four-game series last season, has won two straight and 11 of 15 matchups on the bayou.

New Orleans ended a two-game slide and completed a four-game road trip with a 2-2 mark following Friday's 97-78 victory at Portland. Willie Green had 19 points, Trevor Ariza added 18 points and seven rebounds, and Paul contributed 16 points and 13 assists for the Hornets, who won for the fourth time in six tries. Marco Belinelli and David West each scored 14 points.

"This win doesn't say a lot about me as a coach. It's all about our guys," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "They decided yesterday in practice that we need to be a defensive team and we showed signs tonight."

The Hornets are first in the NBA for fewest points allowed by opponents (91.1 ppg) and own a perfect 7-0 mark at home this season. They are 4-0 as the host versus teams from the Western Conference.

San Antonio is off to the best 15-game start (13-2) in franchise history, but had a 12-game winning streak come to an end with Friday's 103-94 setback versus the rival Dallas Mavericks in the Alamo City.

Manu Ginobili finished with 31 points, Tim Duncan added 15 points and eight boards, and George Hill netted 21 points for the Spurs, whose last loss came against New Orleans in late October and were aiming for the first 13-game winning streak since February 13-March 13, 2007.

"Dallas did a great job tonight," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. "As a group they executed better than we did. I think they were a bit hungry and a bit more competitive than we were tonight. It showed up in the fourth quarter when I think they scored 32 or 34 in the fourth quarter. They did a good job."

The Mavericks put the game away by outscoring the Spurs, 32-21, in the fourth quarter. They also forced 17 turnovers and had a 39-36 edge on the boards.

San Antonio is unbeaten in six road tilts this season.