The Hornets (43-20) entertain the NBA West leading Los Angles Lakers (45-19) on Friday night at 7 in the Arena with the conference ready to punish any team that makes the mistake of losing two straight games. The pressure-packed race is that tight.
The Lakers are two-point favorites and the game has been sold out for days. This will be the Hornets' seventh sellout of the season and their sixth of the past 11 games, dating back to to playing Memphis on Feb. 9.
Improved bench play and playing better defense helped the Bees blast the defending champion Spurs 100-75 last Wednesday night. The Spurs had held 26 of their last 30 opponents under 100 points, but the Hornets shot 59 per cent and Chris Paul had 26 points and 17 assists.
The Hornets will be looking to avenge s 109-80 drubbing by the Lakers two months ago in New Orleans.
The Lakers, a team with Hollywood in their veins, were mental mushrooms at the start of the season until Dr. David Levy was brought in as a consultant. Kobe Bryant wanted out and the team didn't have any direction. Levy is a college professor who has a practice treating celebrities lost in dysfunction. Bryant became a big brother type and the players began playing like a team.
The Lakers have been only so-so the last couple of weeks, the latest evidence a 117-108 victory over Toronto. There are whispers that the Lakers, short-handed since Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza went down within a week of each other in January, are fatigued. But they continue to win, taking four of their last five, but not as comfortably as last month, when they went 13-2 and put away team with ease.
"I think we're shooting the ball pretty well, but I think our activity level is down," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "Some of our players look tired, leg-weary. That's part of the March doldrums you get in this game because of the amount of games you've played."
The last time they met, the Lakers had their way with the Hornets, leading the entire game and compiling a whopping 42-9 edge in points from reserves. However, since, then, the Hornets' reserves have gotten much stronger.
Julian Wright, the Hornets' top draft choice from Kansas, continues to play more and get better. "His play gives us more depth," said Hornets coach Byron Scott, who played with the Lakers. "He's been showing hints of his face-up game and shooting skills since he cracked rotation four games ago."
The Lakers are on a four-game road tour. "This is only one of four road games," said reserve forward Luke Walton, "but it's against one of the best teams in the NBA, so it's going to be a war for four straight games."
Scott had told his team they must play aggressive the rest of they way. "When we played them the last time, we were alert defensively, we were rotating and we were the aggressors that whole game," said Walton. "That's kind of what we have to get back to tonight. That's what we haven't done the last couple of games, especially on the road."
Bryant said he was looking at kind of a slugfest against the Hornets.
If Houston beats Charlotte on Friday night, the Rockets will have won 21 straight games going into a nationally televised game Sunday against the Lakers.
"People are talking about the Houston game," said Jackson. "You can't overlook the New Orleans game because that's more important to us right now than the Houston game."
Lakers officials have made it clear that when the time comes, they'll do the right thing by retiring Shaw O;Neal's No. 34. The question is, will they later retire Bryant's number. Or both? In 10 seasons with the Lakers, Bryant helped the Lakers win three NBA championships, led the league in scoring twice and was a perennial all-star. And he's only 29.
BRUNELL TO JOIN SAINTS
The Saints have agreed to a contract with Mark Brunell that will make the 15-year veteran quarterback Drew Brees' backup this season.
James Martin, Brees' backup the past two seasons, is a unrestricted free agent and has not signed a new contract with the Saints. Tyler Palko is the No. 3 quarterback.
Brunell, 37, has not signed the contract, but is expected to sign the agreement within a few days after details are worked out.
Brunell, a lefthander like Palko, began his career as a backup at Green Bay in 1994, then went to Jacksonville where he started for eight years before going to the Redskins where he started for coach Joe Gibbs. Brunell lost his starting job at Washington to Jason Campbell and became a backup, but lost that assignment to Todd Collins. Brunell has played in the Pro Bowl.
In two seasons with the Saints, Martin threw 24 passes with 16 completions, one touchdown and one interception. He didn't throw a pass last season.
Former Saints linebacker Danny Clark has signed a two-year contract with the Giants.
