5 things to watch for in tonight’s Spurs vs. Hornets matchup

The San Antonio Spurs (14-9) will look to continue their dominance at home as they host the New Orleans Hornets (4-18) tonight.

The Spurs and Hornets have tangled once this season with the Spurs edging the Hornets 104-102. It was a nip-and-tuck game as there were 15 lead changes and the score was tied eight times. Tim Duncan secured the win for San Antonio with a running hook-shot with 1.4 seconds left in the game.

For a complete preview of tonight’s contest, check out Project Spurs’ Paul Garcia’s preview but here are five things to watch for in tonight’s Spurs-Hornets matchup.

• So Jarrett Jack might be an issue for San Antonio. Jack has led the team in assists 15 times this season and has led the team in scoring eight times.
• Let’s hope the Spurs hit their shots tonight. The Hornets are 0-15 when outshot by their opponent this season.
• New Orleans can play some defense. The Hornets have held 16 of their first 22 opponents under 100 points this season. They also rank 10th in opponent three-point field goal percentage.
• Spurs need to be aware the Hornets have some of the best players in the league to knock down their shots. Jack is 22nd in the NBA at 86.5%, Al-Farouq Aminu is the Hornets best shooter at 92.6% and Greivis Vasquez shoots 82.8%.
• If the Spurs are leading at halftime, they might pick up the win. New Orleans is 0-13 when they trail at the half.