20th
Spurs beat the Hornets 91-82 in a grungy Game 7 at New Orleans. The younger team was treated to a solid beatdown as the Spurs’ bench veterans came through with solid production. And the Hornets’ bench, namely Bonzi Wells and Melvin Ely, must have crushed their teammates morale when they used their first half appearances just to show how they didn’t belong on the court. New Orleans’ coach Byron Scott was left with a diminished David West, which meant fewer rebounds, fewer breakouts, and hardly any stand-still jumpers for Stojackovic and Mo Pete. The game eventually came down to Jennaro Pargo first shooting the Hornets out of, and then back into the game, while the Spurs continued to score just enough to preserve sufficient cushion. Ugly game.
