Spurs Win to Force Game 7 in New Orleans

Spurs 99, Hornets 80

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs' Big Three came through. Now they have to win one on the road to keep their title defense alive.

Manu Ginóbili scored 25 points, Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and Tony Parker added 15 points in the Spurs' 99-80 victory over the New Orleans Hornets in Game 6 on Thursday night.

The win forced a seventh game in the Western Conference semifinals on Monday in New Orleans. Home teams are 20-1 in the second round.

Chris Paul led the Hornets with 21 points and Tyson Chandler scored 14. David West had 10 points before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter after apparently aggravating a back injury.

The aging defending champions and the injured Hornets now get three days of rest before playing Game 7.

"I have confidence," Parker said. "We've won a lot of big games on the road."

Despite the closeness of the series, Game 6, like the five before it, was won by double digits. It was also won, like those before it, in the third quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Hornets 20-12.

"I don't know what to say," Paul said. "That third quarter was ugly."

The Spurs took the lead for good after Parker's jumper with 4 minutes 27 seconds left in the first quarter broke a 17-all tie. They led by as many as 24.

The Spurs hit 11 of 21 three-pointers, led by six from Ginóbili. The Hornets had just two threes. But the Hornets had 48 points in the paint to just 28 from the Spurs.

The Spurs shot 49 percent from the field (38 of 77) to the Hornets' 41 percent (33 of 80) and outrebounded them 45-40. The Spurs had 28 assists and the Hornets had 13.

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

The Spurs shot 71 percent in the first quarter and took a 36-24 lead into the second quarter, and 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 quarter that has been pivotal in just about every game in this series -- 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.

With 10:11 left in the game, West left the court after aggravating a back injury.

West, who had back pain in Game 5, fell to the floor after a pick from Spurs forward Robert Horry, who was called for an offensive foul. West left for the locker room.