Final
  for this game

Hornets battle Spurs in playoff rematch

Dec 17, 2008 - 11:20 AM San Antonio (15-8) at New Orleans (14-7) 9:30 p.m. EST

NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- The New Orleans Hornets are hitting their stride just in time for a meeting with the team that ended their playoff run last season.

The Hornets and San Antonio Spurs duel on Wednesday for the first time since the 2007-08 postseason.

After a 5-5 start, New Orleans has won nine of its last 11 games, including back-to-back victories against the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies in its last two contests.

The Hornets won a franchise-record 56 games last season and cruised past the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, setting up a meeting with the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.

New Orleans won the first two games of the series and held a three-games-to-two advantage before San Antonio rallied to win the final two contests and send their Southwest Division rivals home for the offseason.

The Spurs enter this tilt red-hot, winning each of their last six games.

However, despite extending its winning streak, San Antonio barely escaped a meeting with the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder, claiming a 109-104 victory on Sunday.