Fit to be tied.

There is an old saying, “a tie is like kissing your sister.”

There should be a new saying, “a tie after being down two games to none is like kissing your friend’s sister…..the hot one.”

Yeah, I know its not over, the series is only 2-2 and there is still a ton of basketball left and New Orleans still has the home court advantage. However, watching the Spurs these last two games its hard not to feel confident about their chances in this series. Especially after Games 1 and 2. I didn’t give up on Los Spurs but things did not look promising. They looked old and slow and the “well, looks like the dynasty’s over” talk began. Now after two wins at home, the “dynasty over” comments have changed to “hey, that’s why they are the champs” and “old has become “experienced”.

The biggest knock on the Hornets coming into this series and really, into the post-season, was that they had a lack of playoff experience. So far, that has not been a problem, however, this might come into play at this point in the series. New Orleans really has not faced adversity in these playoffs. They did lose one game to Dallas but that was an aberration. The Hornets dominated the Mavs from start to finish, of course it helped that Dallas rolled over like the French Army in 1940. (Sorry TP ). They are very talented and well coached but still young. They came out so strong in the second halves of Games 1 and 2 that they, not the Spurs, looked like the playoff veterans. However, San Antonio tweaked their approach and returned the favor in the two games in the AT&T center. Toward the end of Game 4 (and somewhat in Game 3 as well), the Hornets seemed to be a little rattled. They looked uncomfortable, unsure and really confused. When Byron Scott waved the white flag at the beginning of the 4th quarter and pulled the starters, they looked beaten and worse, lost.

Of course this could all end Tuesday night back in the Crescent City. Maybe all CP3 and co. need is the home crowd shaking their gris-gris and those big Peja heads. After all, that is all the Spurs needed, right? Well…no. They needed a full-strength Tim Duncan and they finally got that. Tim apparently was suffering from the flu in the first two games and it showed. Hey, I am not one to make excuses. If you are on the court, then you are expected to give 100% but you could tell Duncan was not himself. He was in the two home games, especially Game 4. Going to the basket before the double team, beating the double team and generally being much more aggressive. That is the Timmy we know and love and that is the Timmy the Spurs need to advance.

So its 2-2 going into Game 5. San Antonio has been here before, as recently as last season. SA was 2-2 going into Phoenix and won. In the Duncan Era, the Spurs have been 2-2 in a series 8 times. In those series, they are 7-1 in Game 5’s, you know the one loss. If you don’t, think about it…it should only take you .4 seconds to come up with it. On the road for Game 5 during that time, they are 3-0. They are 7-1 in series since TD came to SA when they have won a Game 5 after being tied. The one series lost? You guessed it…same one. The odds favor the Spurs in that way but not in the current post-season. So far in this round of the playoffs, the road team has exactly one win.

Pop tweaked things after Game 2 and they worked great, the true test comes Tuesday night. Teal Nation will be pumped up for their boys. The playoff success New Orleans is enjoying is uncharted territory for Hornets fans and to their credit, they are doing great. The booing every Spurs possession is a bit high school-ish, not to mention the Rick Flair “Woo!” every time Chris Paul hits a shot but they are having fun and supporting their team and that is all that matters. That crowd will do all they can to rattle San Antonio. If the Spurs block that out and play like they did in Games 3 and 4, they can come home with a chance to clinch the series.

The most important game of the season for both teams is here. How they react will determine how long that season lasts.