 making the calls and I was the one standing there screaming at people.'' When asked if being a head coach is something he wants to pursue down the road, Duncan said, ''Nope, Pop is going to be back and I will be happy to hand it right over to him.'' Duncan said when his team had a five-point lead late in the game, he thought the Spurs might cruise to the win.''But they had to make it interesting. I think they did that out of spite,'' Duncan joked.Hornets coach James Borrego, who worked as an assistant coach for the Spurs when Duncan was there as a player, said it was ''odd'' to look down at the other bench and see the five-time NBA champion and 15-time All-Star coaching a team.''I'm used to see that No. 21 on his jersey and see him out there leading the group. Tonight he had a blazer on,'' Borrego joked.Borrego said he has immense respect for Duncan.''I wouldn't be sitting here (as a head coach) if it wasn't for that guy,'' Borrego said.Terry Rozier had 20 points and P. J. Washington added 19 with five 3-pointers to lead the Hornets.Duncan was mostly mild-mannered on the bench, not showing much emotion as the game progressed. However, he did challenge a charge call on Derrick White with 9:09 left in the fourth quarter, but the play was not overturned.The Hornets jumped to a 12-2 lead to open the game, prompting Duncan to use his first timeout. Charlotte extended its lead to as many 17 in the first half, but the Spurs battled back to take a 77-76 lead entering the fourth quarter.San Antonio extended the lead to six with 4:24 left in the game after three free throws by Forbes, just moments after he appeared to get away with a travel in the lane that drew boos from the home crowd.The Hornets came back and Rozier cut the Spurs' lead to one with a driving layup with 42 seconds left. After DeMar DeRozan missed a pull-up jumper, the Hornets had a chance to win the game on their final possession. However, after Rozier drove to the basket, his pass under the basket went in and out of the hands of Cody Martin, allowing the Spurs to escape with just their fourth win in the last 11 games.Borrego didn't call timeout before the final play, so as not to let the Spurs set up their defense.TIP-INSSpurs: Forbes added 15 points and DeRozan had 12 points and 10 assists.Hornets: LaMarcus Aldridge did not play due to right shoulder soreness.. ... The Hornets on Tuesday signed guard Joe Chealey to a second 10-day contract. ... Cody Martin got his second career start for the Hornets. ... Hornets outrebounded the Spurs 47-33.GRAHAM SITS OUTHornets leading scorer Devonte Graham sat out with left ankle soreness following a collision with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Tuesday night's loss to the Bucks. Borrego said Graham is listed as day-to-day.''If he's not healthy and ready to go we won't play him Thursday night,'' Borrego said.UP NEXTSpurs: Visit the Nets on Friday night.Hornets: Host the Nuggets on Thursday night in their third straight home game.---More NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Mar 03, 2020The Charlotte Hornets showed that they can compete against top teams. Now it's a matter of doing so against every team.The next test comes Tuesday night against the visiting San Antonio Spurs."We're trending the right way," Hornets coach James Borrego said. "I think we're heading in the right direction. ... We have a nice base right now. We have to keep it growing." Charlotte defeated the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors on Friday night and followed that two days later by sticking with the Milwaukee Bucks, who hold the league's best record, until the final minutes in a 93-85 loss."We have a group that has bought in," Borrego said. "Developing, want to get better, care about each other. I can live with that every day. Obviously, we have to get better from here, but I'm really excited with where we're at." San Antonio is coming off a 116-111 home loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.The Spurs are in a regrouping mode in terms of their roster. Center Jakob Poeltl departed a Saturday home win over the Orlando Magic due to a bruised knee, and he is expected to miss at least two weeks. He is averaging 5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.Adding to the roster uncertainty is the status of San Antonio center LaMarcus Aldridge, who has missed the past three games due to a sore shoulder. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Aldridge will be out for the Charlotte game as well.The Spurs have had to go to a smaller lineup, and at times that has been rewarding."It worked out for us," Popovich said.Yet the situation does mean increased responsibilities for other San Antonio players."I just have to be more aggressive," Spurs forward Trey Lyles said. "Just rebound, play solid defense and stuff like that." Lyles provided 20 points Monday night, and Patty Mills scored a team-high 24 off the bench. Five other San Antonio players scored in double figures, and the Spurs shot 51.9 percent from the floor, but the Pacers hit 50.6 percent of their free-throw attempts and had an eight-point edge in scoring from the foul line.The Hornets have struggled at times at the defensive end, but despite allowing 41 points to Giannis Antetokounmpo, they held the Bucks to fewer than 100 points. It was the first time that happened to Milwaukee this season, though the Bucks subsequently scored just 89 in a Monday loss at Miami."Our personnel, our attention to detail and the pride we're taking on the defensive end is giving us a shot every night," Borrego said. "I thought we made them work for everything, and we made them work every possession. It's important for our guys to know it starts on the defensive end for us." Borrego said the bench players have added to the team's defensive depth, and he views that as a reason for the better play for longer periods at that end of the court.The Hornets are seeing some options offensively evolve, particularly since last week's suspension of reserve guard Malik Monk, whose role had been increasing.Cody Martin has added to the play-making possibilities for the Hornets."I think he's someone stepping into that role," Borrego said. "Taking pressure off (Devonte' Graham and Terry Rozier)." The Spurs defeated the Hornets 114-90 in a Feb. 1 matchup in San Antonio behind DeMar DeRozan's 24 points and six assists. Miles Bridges scored a game-high 25 points for Charlotte.The Tuesday contest will be Charlotte's second game of a four-game homestand. San Antonio is beginning a three-game road trip.--Field Level Media
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