Spurs' stars shine in Game 6 with 99-80 win

SAN ANTONIO — Must-win situations are not a familiar place for the San Antonio Spurs.

They survived one Thursday night, earning the chance to play in another.

The defending champions beat the New Orleans Hornets 99-80 in Game 6, staying alive and forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday in New Orleans.

"That's what you want to have, an opportunity," said Spurs point guard Tony Parker. "That's why Game 6 was huge. We won the game, and now we have an opportunity to win a game on the road."

Manu Ginobili scored 25 points, Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and Parker added 15 points to tie the Western Conference semifinals.

Before Thursday, the last time San Antonio faced a must-win game was 2006, when the Spurs were down 1-3 to the Dallas Mavericks, then came back to force a Game 7 and lost in overtime.

"We know what we're facing. We're facing elimination," Duncan said. "And we know we have to put a good game together there. ... We're going to take it in there, and it's do-or-die."

Chris Paul led the Hornets with 21 points and eight assists, and Tyson Chandler scored 14 points. David West had 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter after aggravating a back injury.

"It's sore right now. Good thing we have two or three days here to get rest and treatment. It's the way it happens sometimes," West said.

The aging defending champions and the injured Hornets now get three days off before the deciding game in New Orleans, where the Hornets have won three blowouts.

"Thank God we get to go back to New Orleans for Game 7," Paul said.

Home teams are 20-1 in the second round of the playoffs.

The Spurs came out with desperate energy, shooting 71 percent in the first quarter. They maintained a double-digit lead early in the second period before the Hornets started chipping away.

Chandler's dunk off an alley-oop pass from Paul brought New Orleans within 46-41 with 5:35 to play. The Hornets got within 55-49, and the Spurs were up 58-51 at halftime.

In the third, the Hornets got into quick foul trouble. Paul picked up consecutive offensive fouls, his third and fourth, and West picked up his second and third, all in a span of 1:05.

Then West picked up his fourth foul and, visibly upset about it, also got a technical with 8:44 to play.

West did not score again in the quarter, but Paul kept his composure, hitting another layup and jumper and feeding Chandler for two more dunks.

After Chandler's second slam, which brought the Hornets within 71-63, they didn't score for the last 4:44 of the period, and the Spurs pulled away.

Duncan sank a shot over Chandler, then hit a layup and pumped his fist after Ime Udoka blocked Paul's layup attempt. Duncan was fouled but couldn't convert the three-point play.

It didn't matter. The Spurs were firmly in control, and Ginobili's back-to-back threes to start the fourth quarter gave San Antonio an 84-63 lead and put away the game.