4th Quarter Dooms Hornets

The Hornets had the Spurs on the ropes, but they let them catch their breath and they're back in the series. The game last night was a back-and-forth contest and it looked like the Hornets could pull it out, but 4 minutes in the 4th quarter doomed their chances.

For about a 4 minute stretch, the Hornets couldn't throw it in the ocean. Chris Paul was forcing shots to try to take the momentum away from the Spurs and with the misses, the Spurs gained a double-digit lead and never let up.

Don't get me wrong, I think Paul has been amazing in the playoffs, but last night, I think he tried to do too much. He finished with 35 points, but the problem is that the rest of the team didn't get involved enough. I think Paul knew that he had to take the team on his shoulders and sort of got away from his game. He didn't shoot badly at all, but it seemed like the game got away from the Hornets for a brief stretch. And that's all the defending champs needed to get back in the series, 2-1.

Now the pressure goes back on the Hornets. They don't want to leave San Antonio with the series tied 2-2. Game 4 become ultra important for the Hornets and look for maximum effort from everyone to get that victory.