SAN ANTONIO — Manu Ginobili, voted the league's top reserve this season, didn't have his usual downtime at the start of the first quarter on Thursday night.

The super sixth man instead got his first start of this postseason, and the San Antonio Spurs harnessed his energy early against the New Orleans Hornets and avoided going into what has historically been an insurmountable hole.

Ginobili and Tony Parker scored 31 points apiece to lead the defending NBA champions to a 110-99 Game 3 win in the Western Conference semifinals. New Orleans still has a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 is Sunday night in San Antonio.

In the other NBA playoff game Thursday night, Boston beat Cleveland 89-73. Home teams are 10-0 in the four conference semifinal series.