1:06 4th Quarter
Tyson Chandler hit two free throws, then Rasual Butler put in a loose ball and then James Posey knocked down a 3.

Suddenly, the Hornets went from a 79-72 deficit to an 85-79 lead.

Yep, that's a 13-0 run.

2:25 4th Quarter
David West, not a noted 3-point shooter, has hit two treys in the past two minutes and the Hornets suddenly are within one point of the Spurs.

He's not exactly the one you think to go to from behind the arc - not with Rasual Butler and James Posey on the floor - but if he's getting it done, keep feeding him the ball.

5:37 4th Quarter
New Orleans just can't quite get over the hump. It pulls to within 3 and then the Spurs hit two free throws.

David West has been taken out of the game. Tyson Chandler is getting frustrated on the inside. And Chris Paul is having a tough time finding assists.

But it's OK. Dance cam is on. Plenty of people getting on down.

12:00 4th Quarter
Well, every time the Hornets pull close, the Spurs go on a run.

Either it's Tim Duncan or Bruce Bowen or some other San Antonio player.

But as Scott Cody just said, a 7-point deficit isn't nearly as bad as the 15-point deficit was last time these two teams met in the New Orleans Arena heading into the fourth quarter.

6:14 3rd Quarter
Chris Paul is keeping the Hornets in this game, getting teammates involved and making baskets himself.

That's my view. What's Scott Cody's?

"I felt they could have capitalized on the steal record a little more. The crowd was real energized. the team was energized. they both fell flat. shortly after the Spurs went on a 7-0 run, closing the half out in their favor. That's the cushion they've leaned on right now.

The Hornets are going to have to get someone shooting from 3-point range with Peja out. Maybe Posey can step in. someone will have to get hot from 3-point range for them to win."

Halftime
The Hornets trail 42-37 at the break. I'd say they're lucky to be down only five, but let's be serious. This game has been ugly, especially on the offensive end.

Chris Paul does have a steal, however, and the crowd exploded when it happened. He stole a pass from Tony Parker with 3:43 to play in the second quarter.

Paul has 10 points and David West, who has scored in double-digits since seemingly he was a wee young lad only has 7.

Meanwhile, Manu Ginobili has 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range. Tony Parker leads all scorers with 14 points.

2:34 2nd Quarter
The fans saw it coming. The viewers at home saw it coming. And the Spurs saw it coming.

It was only a matter of time.

Chris Paul picked up the NBA steals record with a steal in 106 consecutive games. He bests Alvin Robertson, a former San Antonio Spurs player.

It came at about the 3:40 mark of the second quarter.

5:51 2nd Quarter
New Orleans leads 26-23 midway through the second quarter.

There was a moment it appeared the Spurs were going to turn things on in the inside, but the Hornets appear to have stemmed that tide. For now.

Tim Duncan continues to complain about every call that goes against him. And the thing is, few calls go the other way. Maybe he's onto something.

I'll say this - Antonio Daniels is an upgrade from Mike James, who for one reason or another, didn't fit in with the Hornets. Daniels makes moves to the basket and finds teammates open. He has three assists in about 12 minutes of play.

We're about 3/4 of the way through the first half and neither team has hit 30 points. Both teams are shooting in the 30-40 percent range.

8:36 2nd Quarter
Noteworthy people in the house:
James Carville
Jammal Brown
Bobby McCray
Scott Cody
WWL-TV photo Adam Copus

End 1st Quarter
You'll hear me enough the rest of the night.

But what about listening to CeCe Cody's pops and Jill Hezeau's significant other, Scott Cody?

"Definitely an ugly quarter. It seemed to be kind of tense. I don't know if everyone was waiting for a steal or if Game 7 has a lingering affect. The Spurs have unofficially become the biggest rival of the Hornets. Maybe that had something to do with it.

"The Hornets definitely have some matchups to take advantage of, David West and Matt Bonner being one. It appears they're going to make Chris Paul make outside jumpers as opposed to driving the lane. Tonight he's making his jumpers."

2:35 1st Quarter
Chris Paul still doesn't have a steal...or an assist. We're nearly done with the first quarter and the shooting is just horrendous in this one. Blame the defense.

Tyson Chandler just picked up his second offensive off-the-ball foul in the past three minutes. I've got to believe he needs to be on the floor if the Hornets have a chance tonight.

And I also want to know why the crowd is booing Tony Parker every time he touches the ball. Are they disappointed they didn't marry Eva Longoria and he did? Are they really not fans of Desperate Housewives and they're booing him instead? Is it because he speaks fluent French and they don't?

I don't know.

5:55 1st Quarter
Chris Paul needs only one steal tonight to set an NBA record for consecutive games with a steal at 106.

But six minutes in, he has done no thievery.

That said, New Orleans leads 10-7. The Spurs, long known as beasts in the paint, aren't so far. New Orleans has more rebounds.

The big things, however, is that the Hornets are limiting San Antonio to one shot and done on offense. And right now, the Spurs are shooting only 33 percent.

Pregame
I can vividly remember the last time San Antonio visited New Orleans for a little evening get together. Down by a mile for much of the game, New Orleans had a chance at a tie with fewer than two minutes to play.

But Jannero Pargo, then New Orleans' top backup, missed a 3-pointer and the Spurs went on to win by nine to move into the Western Conference finals.

Well, we're back here at the New Orleans Arena, where if you have enough money, you can put your name on it.

And the two teams again are battling as two of the Conference's top teams.

Expected Starting Lineups:
Hornets: F Rasual Butler, C Tyson Chandler, G Chris Paul, F David West, G Devin Brown

Peja Stojakovic will not play as he is having back spasms according to reporting ace Les East, a noted journalist and Loyola University journalism professor and self-proclaimed King of All Media.

Spurs: C Matt Bonner, F Tim Duncan, F Michael Finley, G Roger Mason, G Tony Parker

This and That
--Morris Peterson and Byron Scott have talked about Peterson's minutes lately, as the forward is still trying to come back from a sore right knee. Peterson is a former starter, with Rasual Butler replacing him in the lineup.

"As of right now, I'm just still trying to find a combination out there with that second unit that can click a little bit," Scott said. "I'm going to try for the next few games to see. I talked to Mo and he understands where I'm going with this. He's a profession. He has been in the league a long time. he knows that he has to make sure he stays ready. Until then, I'm still tinkering. I'm still trying to find out what guys I can depend on every single night."

--Julian Wright has found Scott's doghouse, a place that is hard to get out of once in it. It's not that Wright has done something to tick his coach off. Quite the opposite, actually.

"He's in that boat right now where he's still trying to figure out what he needs to do," Scott said. "It's funny because I told him, 'I think you've regressed from last year.' Which is kidn of crazy to me. He's hard on himself because he hasn't been able to do the things he thinks he's capable of doing. A little disappointing from my standpoint because I expected more from him."

---