The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: Spurs hold off Hornets to clinch series 91-82

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (left), gets by New Orleans Hornets guard Jannero Pargo in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA Western Conference semi-finals basketball play-off series on Monday. Spurs won 91-82 to take the seven-game series 4-3. They will meet Los Angeles Lakers in the final. - AP

NEW ORLEANS (AP)

Manu Ginobili scored 26 points, hitting four free throws in the final minute, to send the San Antonio Spurs to the Western Conference finals with a 91-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday in Game 7 of their second-round series.

Tony Parker added 17 points, including a crucial jumper in the final minute, as the Spurs held off a late rally to become the first team in this series to win on the road.

Destined for greater things

With a nucleus of Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler, the Hornets appear destined for greater things, but now is not their time.

It's the Spurs and their trio of Tim Duncan, Ginobili and Parker who will be travelling to Los Angeles to face the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals tonight.

West led the Hornets with 20 points, while Paul and Jannero Pargo each added 18. Chandler had 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Hornets, who cut a deficit as large as 17 down to three inside the final two minutes.

Duncan had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs, seeking to win back-to-back titles for the first time.

Mechanical problems

Meanwhile, San Antonio's departure from New Orleans was delayed several hours after their plane had mechanical problems, the team said yesterday.

The team could not find hotel rooms in the city, so the players had to sleep on the plane, team spokesman Cliff Puchalski said.

"We slept on the plane - as much as you can sleep," Puchalski said. "We tried to keep some normal semblance of order."

The Spurs eliminated the Hornets 91-82 in Game 7 on Monday, then went straight to Los Angeles.

Puchalski said the team slept on the plane with the mechanical problems before boarding another plane that was brought in from Minneapolis. The team took off about 6:30 a.m. Central time, Puchalski said, and landed in Los Angeles about four hours later.

The team did not practise yesterday.