sasaint

The Spurs not only played harder last night, they played smarter. Manu didn't let himself get trapped and turn the ball over. Tony remembered that he does have a mid-range jumper, and he pulled up a few times to knock it down. Plus, the whole team started making their open shots.

Downside: Until the final two minutes, Pop used only 8 players - including a very brief appearance by Horry in the first half. At their age, how fast does that empty the Spurs' tanks? Too much for them to sustain that kind of effort over an entire series?

Will their shooting touch desert them again? Can they maintain their defensive intensity? Can they shoot well and win in New Orleans?

The biggest key, however, will be the new defensive matchups - Tony on CP3 and Bruce on Peja. Can't wait for game 4!