The defending champion San Antonio Spurs have defeated the New Orleans Hornets 91-82 on Monday to win the hard fought series four games to three. The win for the Spurs was the first road win for any team in the series. The Hornets won Games 1, 2, and 5 in New Orleans, all by double digits. The Spurs won Games 3, 4, and 6 in San Antonio, all of which were double digit victories as well. Game 7 was in New Orleans, and the Spurs didn't have a third quarter meltdown like the previous three games in New Orleans. The Spurs outscored the Hornets 20-14 in what seemed to be the most important quarter in the entire series for both teams. Manu Ginobili, guard for the Spurs, led all players with 26 points, even though it didn't come easily. Ginobili missed 13 of his 19 shots attempted, but was able to make 10 of his 11 free throws attempted. Chris Paul, All-Star guard for the Hornets, had a good game with 18 points and 14 assists. But the youthful Hornets, who did not qualify for the playoffs since 2004, end their season after what seemed to be a successful playoff run. The Spurs will now face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers clinched their spot in the Western Conference Finals with a victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday. The Lakers' record in the regular season was 57-25, while the Spurs posted a 56-26 record. Who will win this matchup? If the Lakers make it to the NBA Finals, will that quiet the critics who say Kobe Bryant couldn't win a championship without former Lakers' center Shaquille O'neal?
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