Defense carries Spurs past New Orleans in Game 7

Tony Parker’s basket held off a Hornets’ rally.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A title defense endures for the playoff-savvy San Antonio Spurs.

Manu Ginobili scored 26 points, hitting four free throws in the final minute, sending the Spurs to the Western Conference finals with a 91-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets Monday night 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.

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 traveling to Los Angeles to face the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday night.

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.

The win also gave Spurs coach Gregg Popovich 100 playoff victories, moving him into a tie with Larry Brown for third on the career list.

The Hornets had dominated the third quarters of their three previous home games in this series. This time, the Spurs, who have won four titles in the previous nine seasons, had an answer. It was their calling card: stingy defense.

Buoyed by a home crowd that stood throughout the fourth quarter, the Hornets fought back to make a game of it, largely behind Pargo, who had done little in this series. He scored seven straight on four free throws sandwiched around a 3-pointer, pulling the Hornets to 81-77 with 3:10 to go.

Pargo made another 3 to cut it to 83-80 with about 1 1/2 minutes to go, then attempted another for the tie with a minute left, but it rattled out.

Parker drained a jumper on the other end with 50 seconds left to make it 85-80, and New Orleans could not recover.