The Spurs would love to turn their Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Hornets into a battle of attrition between star point guards Tony Parker and Chris Paul. That's because the defending champs believe they have the better supporting cast.

The ploy was successful in Game 3 Thursday as Paul, forced to dominate the ball as San Antonio defenders congested his passing lanes, seemed to run out of gas after a brilliant first half and Parker got much more help from co-stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili than his counterpart got from his key mates.

Originally, the veteran Spurs saw the two-day break between Games 3 and 4 as a positive. But with Paul floundering a bit late in the game Thursday, they might have changed their mind and preferred to rush into Game 4 as quickly as possible.

The Spurs also improved in two key areas Thursday: rebounding and ball distribution.

Having been out-rebounded 91-74 in the two series-opening losses in New Orleans, the Spurs won the battle of the boards for the first time, albeit by just a 43-41 margin.

The biggest improvement was in ball movement. With the Spurs forcing Paul to keep the ball in his hands a majority of most possessions, the Hornets managed just 15 assists after averaging 22.5 in the first two games.

Meanwhile, Parker had more assists Thursday (11) than in the first two games combined (eight), helping the Spurs record 28 after they'd averaged just 21.5 in the two losses.

SPURS 110, HORNETS 99: When the Spurs have their "Big Three" rolling, very few teams can stand in their way.

Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan all had their best games of the Western Conference semifinals in Game 3 Thursday, accounting for 78 points in the Spurs' first win of the series.

The Spurs now trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven.

Ginobili matched his point total with 31, but Parker was the key performer for the Spurs. His 31-point, 11-assist night offset rival Chris Paul's sensational 35-point, nine-assist effort, setting the stage for the game to be won or lost by other players.

And that's where Ginobili and Duncan, who had a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double, made the difference.

All three contributed to the key spurt of the night, an 11-0 flurry midway through the fourth period that turned a 90-88 game into a 13-point landslide. The Hornets were never appreciably closer after that.

Game 4 will be played Sunday night in San Antonio, where the Spurs have won 10 consecutive playoff games.

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