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Morrison leads Bobcats to overtime triumph of Spurs

Nov 16, 2006 - 4:01 AM SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- Rookie Adam Morrison delivered on the big stage against the San Antonio Spurs.

Morrison scored a season-high 27 points and Emeka Okafor added 19 as the Charlotte Bobcats posted a surprising 95-92 overtime victory over the Spurs.

Raymond Felton had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats, who shot 44 percent (40-of-92) from the field to snap a four-game losing streak.

"It's a quality win, but it's one. It's one win," Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "But that's a terrific veteran team that's well coached."

A perennial Western Conference power, the Spurs struggled against one of the NBA's worst teams.

"They're a championship team. They have a lot of veterans and they have a Hall of Famer underneath," Morrison said. "I don't think they took us lightly. We just played real well. They played well too in stretches. Those guys are smart enough not to take anybody lightly in the NBA."

The third overall pick in the 2006 draft, Morrison was drafted for his ability to create his own shot after leading the nation in scoring at Gonzaga last season. Morrison showed San Antonio defensive specialist Bruce Bowen his vast array, shooting 12-of-23 from the floor.

"That's how I played in college. I wasn't really a standing shooter," Morrison said. "My teammates are starting to trust me, and coach (Bickerstaff) trusts me to put it on the floor and get to the line and make stuff happen."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was impressed with Morrison's toughness. "He's a basketball junkie. He understands how to play the game," Popovich said. "He's a scoring machine. He knows what he has to do. He's a fantastic young talent."

Okafor shot 9-of-18, including a follow shot on Felton's missed free throw with 18 seconds left in overtime to make it 95-89 and seal the victory. He finished with nine rebounds and five blocks.

Trailing, 83-75, with 2:50 remaining in regulation, the Spurs went on an 8-0 run and tied the game on two free throws by Manu Ginobili with 70 seconds left. However, they did not carry the momentum into the extra period.

"I'm not taking any credit from them," San Antonio forward Tim Duncan said. "I think they played excellent throughout the game, but we helped them out a little too much."

Tony Parker scored 25 points and Duncan added 24 for the Spurs, who shot just 38 percent (36-of-96), including 2-of-17 from the arc, in having their five-game winning streak stopped.