After pulling off a close win in overtime against the Oklahoma City Thunder, on the 
shoulders on DeJuan Blair’s career high pf 28 points and 21 rebounds, the Spurs (24-13) next faced the Charlotte Bobcats (17-19) in Charlotte.
The Bobcats are young team with players such as Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson. Jackson scored a career 43 points in their last win against the Houston Rockets and are currently on a five game home winning streak.
So how did the Spurs do in Charlotte? This is how it went down.
First Quarter:
The Spurs started with Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair, Tony Parker, Richard Jefferson, and Keith Bogans.
Spurs started off missing their first four shots but DeJuan Blair got things going with a shot in the paint. Parker then hit a long two shot for the Spurs. However, both teams were shooting cold from the field early on in the game. Blair was being active in the paint as he hit grabbed a loose ball for an easy score in the paint. At the 6:21 point of the quarter it was 7-6, Bobcats in the lead.
After another rebound by Blair, Parker got the tear-drop to fall in the paint. RJ then hit a three point shot for the Spurs. Bogans and Ginobili got into the lane for easy scores. At the 3:04 point of the quarter it was 17-15, Spurs in the lead.
Bobcats’ Stephen Jackson was keeping the Bobcats in the game with another three but George Hill came back down and hit a shot for the Spurs. Manu got in the lane to score and then hit a three shot to close out the quarter for the Spurs. At the end of one it was 24-22, Spurs with the lead.
After one the Spurs shot 48% from the floor, 50% from three-point line, and 100% from the free-throw line (2-2). The Spurs were led by Ginobili with seven points and Blair had seven rebounds. The Spurs committed five turnovers and 13 rebounds.
Second Quarter:
Spurs started with Hill, Blair, Mason, Jefferson, and Ginobili.
Blair got an offensive rebound then passed it out to Mason for a corner three. Not good for Bobcats fans as Gerald Wallace went down early in the quarter and came out of the game. Mason then hit another corner three courtesy of a Ginobili pass. RJ then drove to the rim and got the “and 1” for the Spurs. At the 8:47 point of the quarter it was 32-26, Spurs in the lead.
Spurs were on a 9-0 run before Bobcats Diaw hit a pair of free-throws. However, the 
Bobcats cut into the Spurs lead and at the 6:59 point it was 33-30, Spurs with the lead.
The Spurs cooled off and Bobcats Diaw hit a three to tie the game in the quarter. Parker then hit a jumper for the Spurs to reclaim the lead for the Spurs. TD then hit a shot in the paint for the Spurs. But fouls by the Spurs, turnovers and missed shots were keeping the Bobcats in the game. At the 2:53 point of the quarter it was 37-35, Spurs in the lead.
TD then got the jump hook to keep the Bobcats at bay. Hill then got a huge dunk for the Spurs. WOW! Spurs defense was cranked up high in the closing seconds of the quarter as Ginobili went to trap Bobcats Jackson which led to a Jackson travel. Manu then missed a corner three and at the end of the first half it was 42-38, Spurs in the lead.
After two quarters, the Spurs shot 43% from the field, 33% from the three-point line and 57% from the free-throw line. Spurs grabbed 10 rebounds and committed eight turnovers. They were led by Parker with eight points and Blair had 10 rebounds.
Third Quarter:
The Spurs started with Duncan, Parker, Jefferson, Blair, and Bogans.
Jefferson got things going for the Spurs with a shot from the field. Spurs looked cold from the field early in the quarter. They could not get the shots to fall. But the Spurs went to their “bread-and-butter” as they dumped the ball to Duncan. He went right to work and got the three-point play after a foul by Bobcats Nazr Mohammed. Hill then hit a three shot for the Spurs. At the 6:53 point of the quarter it was 52-49, Spurs with the lead.
Tony Parker then became close with the sourt as he hit the floor hard on two separate 
occasions. Bobcats Raymond Felton then hit a three which tied the game at 55. Then a horrible call by the refs as George Hill got the steal on Felton and instead picked up the foul. The Bobcats were still hanging around and at the 3:06 point it was 57-55, Bobcats with the lead.
Manu then got into the lane and got fouled hard by Bobcats Flip Murray. But the Bobcats were hot form the field. Diaw hit a three to extend the lead over the Spurs. Then Bobcats Jackson picked up the “and 1” on the Spurs. He did miss the shot but the Spurs committed another turnover which led to the Bobcats to take the last shot of the third. Luckily the Bobcats couldn’t get things going and at the end of the third it was 64-57, Bobcats with the lead.
It was all Bobcats in the third as the Spurs shot 37% so far in the game from the field, 26% from the three-point line and 73% from the free-throw line. Spurs committed 12 turnovers and grabbed 32 rebounds. They were lead by Parker with 11 points.
Fourth Quarter:
Spurs started with Bogans, Mason, Blair, Hill, and Ginobili.
Spurs still looked cold from the field early on in the fourth but the Bobcats continued to up their lead. Bobcats were playing stellar defense on the Spurs. Gerald Wallace was blocking shots and snatching up rebounds. Bobcats were on a 19-2 run (continuing from the third quarter) on the Spurs and at the 9:19 point it was 70-57, Bobcats with the lead.
After a timeout, Pop brought in Marcus Haislip and immediately hit a shot for the Spurs.
But the Bobcats still were pouring it on the Spurs as they upped their lead to 74-59. Pop then called a timeout and really laid into the team. He was asking them to push the ball more. The Spurs could not get things going. The Bobcats were rolling while the Spurs were committing turnovers and at the 5:28 point it was 82-67, Bobcats with the lead.
Down 15 points and Pop benched the starters as Ratliff, Haislip, Blair, Mahinmi, and Mason got in the game for the final minutes of the game. All big men and one guard. Strange line up. At the 3:18 point of the game it was 86-72, Bobcats with the lead.
It was all Bobcats in this quarter. Diaw hit a three, Wallace got his fifth block of the game, and their defense was causing havoc for the Spurs. Everything was going for the Bobcats. Spurs lose the game and drop to 24-14 for the season. Final score 92-76, Bobcats with the win. Spurs three game winning streak comes to an end. Spurs will play the Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis tomorrow night.
Shiny Spur: DeJuan Blair
Rusty Spur: Keith Bogans
Notes:
- Spurs shot 39% from the field, 20% from the three-point line and 69% from the free-throw line. Spurs committed 14 turnovers and grabbed 41 rebounds.
- Blair had another huge game as he finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
- Spurs had five players in double figures: Blair (11 points), Parker (11 points), Hill (11 points), Duncan (10 points), and Ginobili (11 points).
- Spurs died by the three-point shot as they went 5-25 for the game.
- Spurs bench scored 34 points.
- Bobcats defense showed up tonight. Holding the Spurs to 39% shooting and Gerald Wallace had five blocks for the game.
- Spurs just looked flat in the second half. Sloppy play, costly turnovers, and not hitting their shots.
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