The Southwest Division champions Hornets will start the playoffs on Saturday at the sold out Arena (6 p.m. ESPN) against the Mavericks, a team they lost to 111-98 in the regular-season finale at Dallas.
The Bees held a 72-61 lead, but the Mavericks made a 30-6 run behind Jason Kidd's 100th career triple double that lifted Dallas to a rip-roaring victory.
The Hornets clinched the second seed last Tuesday night and will enter the best-of-series as significant favorites. The Hornets will celebrate their playoff appearance with several pre-game pep rallies this week.
The Hornets and Mavericks split the season series 2-2, each protecting their home court. Both sides could extract some confidence coming out of the finale. With Chris Paul, the MVP confounding the Mavericks, the Bees were dominant at times in constructing a nice lead for the cheering fans in the Arena. Not until Paul picked up three fouls in under two minutes late in the third quarter did the Mavs take the lead.
The second game of the playoff series will be played on Tuesday at the Arena before the Hornets travel to Dallas for games on Friday, April 25, and on Sunday. If necessary, the series will return to the Arena on Tuesday, April 29 and to Dallas on Thursday, May 1. If a seventh game is necessary, it will be contested at the Arena on Saturday, May 3.
The Hornets hope Chris Paul will be a nightmare for the Mavericks as he has been for the NBA this season because as Dallas coach Avery Johnson puts it, "if you try to double-team to limit his scoring, he is such a great passer he will find the open man and he can shoot the 3s. He can penetrate and he sets steals, He's very, very confident.
"He's very heady, very knowledgeable of the game, can beat you in between, at the basket, he gets to free-throw line, just causes havoc. And if you have to play against him in a seven-game series, I don't think the opposing coach is going to get much sleep."
Johnson, a New Orleans native, played high school basketball at St. Augustine and college ball at Southern. He is an inspirational speaker and has addressed the Saints.
If Paul doesn't win the MVP, he's likely to finish second to Kobe Bryant, and finish ahead of Kevin Garnett and LeBron James.
He ranks first in the league is assists and steals and is 19th in scoring. But the stats tell only part of Paul's story. His improvement has been profound this season, and since he is only 22, it makes sense that he'll get better.
Paul's scoring has increased from 17.3 points last season to 21.1 this year. His assists per game have increased from 8.9 to 11.6. His steals per game have increased a staggering 50 per cent from 1.8 to 2.7, and his field goal shooting has increased from 43.7 per cent to 48.7 per cent.
"His strength is understanding the game," said Jason Kidd, the Dallas point guard. "He has all the physical tools and he makes his teammates better. I think everything you want in a point guard in this league, he can do it. And also he can score when they need a basket, so that makes him tough to play."
"Sometimes you marvel at some of the things he's doing on the court," said Hornets coach Byron Scott. "It's getting to the point where he does it so often that it's almost routine."
Scott knows that Paul will be around for years and suggests to fans "to sit back and enjoy it."
Scott looks for the series to go six of seven games.
Many of the NBA analysts believe the Hornets will have a tough time advancing in the playoffs because their lack of playoff experience. TNT's vocal Charles Barkley believes the lack of experience will hurt the Hornets' chances and has said so many times.
Scott has taped Barkley's comments and plans to distribute the video to his players.
As Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki said, "It's time to hoop."
I don't even think about the Hornets, I am a 49er fan anyways...... And I am reasonably sure very few people outside of Louisiana read the buzzy boreds. So Metairie, what are you willing to do above and beyond watching a basketball bounce around the court somewhere funded largely by the taxpayers of Louisiana?????? Coastal restoration???? It sounds like it should be a common goal and the game should be played fairly... (Goal,………. nayuck-nuck-nuck-nuck-nuck) Written by Watching the dribblers....................
on 4/18/2008
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You shoukd stucj wuth supporting the Louisiana coast restoration and forget about the Hornets and the great publicity they bring to the state. Ganbkers usuakky don;t win with bookies so they wwwoukdn;t have any money to donate to the restoration funging. Written by pal,metairie
on 4/18/2008
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Yeah this is great, it only costs every person in the State of Louisiana a couple of bucks to see these games........ Problem is, many of them didn't ask to see them, and probably don't even care about basket ball, but it is taken out of their pockets anyways........................ Now I think this is sort of an o.k. thing, the Hornets and all, I mean everything is really fair, and there do have to be some compromises to serve the public at large interests, but if the State is going to 'play games' like that, and allow all the Fun 'n games they do with Coastal Restoration, then why can't someone with a different game plan be allowed to make his 'moves' and provide for the needs of the State of Louisiana as well as other States in the Nation? Why? Well, I guess because he just doesn't have a good 'Bookie'. Written by .... Ehhhhhh go ask Piyush
on 4/17/2008
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The Southwest Division champions Hornets will start the playoffs on Saturday at the sold out Arena (6 p.m. ESPN) against the Mavericks, a team they lost to 111-98 in the regular-season finale at 
