Another Tough Game for Horry

SAN ANTONIO —  A year later, Robert Horry didn’t have quite the same impact in Game 5.

In fact, he made no visible impression Thursday, continuing his series-long struggle against his former teammates by going 0 for 4 from the field for the San Antonio Spurs, finishing without a point for a second consecutive game.

He has five points in the series and has made one of 10 shots in 86 minutes.

Spur fans, sensing the need for production from one of the top clutch playoff performers, groaned when Horry missed a finger roll in the first quarter. They sighed a minute later when he missed a three-pointer, and again when he missed an open three-pointer off the front of the rim in the third quarter.

A year ago, Horry’s last-second three-pointer rimmed in and out when he was with the Lakers, giving the Spurs a 3-2 series lead. This time, it was the Lakers who took a 3-2 series lead with a 74-73 victory.

When the media entered the Spur locker room after the game, Horry was sitting in front of his locker, staring quietly ahead. He ignored a reporter’s question, ambled into the shower, and disregarded other questions when he came back. He got dressed and brushed past reporters on the way out.

His teammates shouldered part of the blame.

“Robert’s not a player who we’re going to go out and say, ‘Rob do it for us,’ ” guard Manu Ginobili said. “If we penetrate and then get it out to him, he should have open shots. It’s more us needing to get it to him. It’s not him not scoring enough.”

*

The Spurs won all four Game 6s they played last season on the way to an NBA title. Three were on the road.

“Any team that wins a championship wins on the road,” Popovich said. “There’s no team that didn’t win a championship that didn’t win some games on the road at some point through their stretch.”

*

Guard Tony Parker struggled with his shooting for a third consecutive game, making seven of 23 shots, one of five from three-point range, and finishing with 15 points.

He played well in the fourth quarter, scoring nine points, but he has not had a strong shooting game since making 13 of 23 in Game 2.

“Tony’s 21,” Popovich said. “He’s not going to be consistent every single night. I think he’s been great in the three years he’s been here. Tonight he couldn’t buy a bucket.”