Game 1 is set for Saturday at 6pm. Here's the full schedule...
| Game | Date | Day | Site | Time | TV |
| One | Apr. 19 | Saturday | N.O. | 6:00pm | ESPN |
| Two | Apr. 22 | Tuesday | N.O. | 6:00pm | TNT |
| Three | Apr. 25 | Friday | Dallas | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Four | Apr. 27 | Sunday | Dallas | 8:30pm | TNT |
| Five* | Apr. 29 | Tuesday | N.O. | TBD | TBD |
| Six* | May 1 | Thursday | Dallas | TBD | TBD |
| Seven* | May 3 | Saturday | N.O. | TBD | TNT |
*if necessary
Here are all the first round match-ups in the West:
1. LA Lakers
8. Denver Nuggets
4. Utah Jazz
5. Houston Rockets
2. New Orleans Hornets
7. Dallas Mavericks
3. San Antonio Spurs
6. Phoenix Suns
If the Hornets beat Dallas, which of course they will, we'll be seeing the winner of the Spurs-Suns series in the second round. Should be fun.
Linkage:
- ESPN.com: Hornets-Mavs series page
- Lots of good stuff over at Hornets Hype and At the Hive
- Mavs blogs/sites: Mavs Moneyball | Dallas Basketball | MavsCentral.com
37 superb comments post your own
dubya
04/17/08 04:07 AM
unless, ofcourse, the nuggets upset the lakers, right?
#1
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 04:25 AM
Nope, the Hornets will play the winner of the Spurs-Suns series no matter what. The Lakers have the top seed so they get the "easiest" path through to the conference finals.
www.hornets247.com #2
Mark
04/17/08 05:09 AM
If we can get through the first round, I think a Western Conference finals is a lock.
#3
ticktock6
04/17/08 05:10 AM
And I hope we beat Dallas and I hope it's the Suns who get out of that series.
hornetshype.com #4
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 05:19 AM
I think the Lakers, Hornets, Jazz and Suns will all advance. The Lakers and Jazz will probably have an easy time in the first round.
www.hornets247.com #5
Mikey
04/17/08 05:38 AM
How nice is it to talk playoff bracketology rather than the draft lottery? I've never been to a playoff game in a major-league sport before. This is gonna be great. I'm going with Bees, Lakers, Jazz, and Spurs. I'll bet you that Amare Stoudemire's seat on the bench this playoff season comes complete with a seat belt.
#6
Mikey
04/17/08 05:45 AM
It was good to see Leon Wood, #40, officiating our game last night, because it would've been a damn shame for him to have officiated a game that mattered. He is awful, by far the worst official in the NBA.
#7
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 05:50 AM
From an objective standpoint, I think Suns-Spurs will be the most interesting series. That should be a blast. Also, I heard a rumor that the Eastern Conference are having some Playoff games, too. Can anyone confirm?
www.hornets247.com #8
Ryan Schwan
04/17/08 06:12 AM
Not ones that matter. Expect the Celtics.
www.hornets247.com #9
mW
04/17/08 06:52 AM
Rumor has it Vince Carter was leading a call to have the Eastern Conference teams sit out the championship and just give it to the Celtics, but with the Nets missing the playoffs, it looks like they'll actually have to go to the arenas and play the games.
www.hornetshype.com #10
Juncti
04/17/08 08:55 AM
I wouldn't want to play Spurs in round two. We already know they're dirty in the playoffs, and I'm sure Bowen will be holding a grudge for Chris Paul ending his consecutive game streak. Too dangerous. I'd rather take a chance against Nash and Shaq.
#11
Emir lidan
04/17/08 09:45 AM
shaq was brought in to handle the spurs so im hoping the spurs get taken out and we get the suns who happens to be a team we swept in the regular season =)
#12
Kamo
04/17/08 10:26 AM
We swept the suns in the matrix-nash-stat Era, and once with shaq but that was ages before the suns started WINNING with shaq, so sincerely i'd prefer the spurs rather than the suns, shaq can really bother tyson, not to speak of amare with west
#13
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 10:29 AM
Kamo is right. Both the Suns and Spurs would be tough to beat. But let's worry more about the Mavericks first.
www.hornets247.com #14
Mikey
04/17/08 10:33 AM
The writing is already on the wall for a Suns V. Lakers Western Conf. Finals. That is EXACTLY what David Stern wants, Kobe V. Shaq with a trip to the NBAFinals at stake. If you're a conspiracy theorist, look no further that this potential match-up. This means that no one should expect the Spurs to get ANY calls. Expect Emperor Sternpatine to execute "Order 32" (shaq's jersey number) allowing the suns to use anything within their means, including Force Lightning, to stop the Spurs.
#15
Dejan
04/17/08 10:41 AM
evry1 is excpecting the mavs to win this 1 , but idk if our game plan is to throw stupid alley oops to tyson when u got no other solution, or to let d west go 1-1 the whole game, its guna be tough.
#16
Mavs
04/17/08 10:49 AM
Look... you guys have waaaay too much swagger. The Hornets may win this one, but the Mavs are heavy favourites for a reason. I'm a little worried about the Mavs in this one, BUT THIS IS A TEAM THAT WENT TO THE FINALS 2 YEARS AGO. (They botched last year, but they learned from that.) That means alot. Arguably they bombed the finals, around here we talk about the refs, but they made it to the finals. Your main guy hasn't been to the playoffs. The hornets have a chance, but don't go in thinking you have it made. You don't.
#17
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 11:09 AM
@ Mavs: Too much swagger? I don't think anyone here has come out and said that the Hornets will definitely beat the Mavs. I've been saying that the Hornets are the underdogs (which some Mavs fans seem to disagree with). Most people expect the Mavs to win this series, and those who think the Hornets will prevail see it taking all seven games.
www.hornets247.com #18
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 11:16 AM
@ Mavs: Actually, now I see that your swagger comment was probably in response to my "of course they will" statement in the above post. That was just a brief moment of fan arrogance, and not my actual prediction for the series. As a Hornets fan, I do of course believe my team will win -- I have to, right? -- but it's not going to be easy. I see six teams in the West who are capable of making it to the conference finals. The Mavs and Hornets are two of them.
www.hornets247.com #19
mW
04/17/08 12:25 PM
I don't know, Ron. Honestly, I see eight teams who could make it to the conference finals. The West is crazy this year, with as Mavs said, a well-experienced seventh seed, a dangerous sixth seed in the Suns, a fifth seed with home field over the fourth, and and eight seed that would be a fourth seed in the East (not to mention how much better their record would be if they actually played in the East) and might just feel like scoring 168 on any given night. Seeds 3, 6 (two), 7, and 8 all have former MVPs, and 1, 2, 5 all have players that have contended or are contending for an MVP. I'm not sure any team is really happy with their match-ups this year. Although kudos to Mikey for deciphering how the "most exciting race ever" which went down to the last day, was actually just a clever Sternite ruse to pit Kobe vs. Shaq in the conference finals. I almost missed that one. Damn you, David Stern!
www.hornetshype.com #20
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 12:39 PM
I don't see the Rockets getting past Utah. They might win two games against the Jazz if they're lucky, especially with Alston out for the first two games. And I think the Lakers will handle the Nuggets pretty easily. I know Denver can fill it up, but the Lakers have been playing some damn fine basketball lately, on both ends of the floor.
www.hornets247.com #21
Mark
04/17/08 01:02 PM
Mavs makes a good point about the strength of the Mavericks, but the same can be said for all the Western conference teams, except (dare I might say) Houston. Much like Ron, I honestly could see either the Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, Suns, Jazz, and Mavericks (or even the Nugs on a good winning streak) in the finals. But I don't think anybody has been audacious enough to say anything with overzealous certainty, so don't go insinuating our intentions either. I'm from Dallas. I love Dallas. But I just love the Hornets more.
#22
XXL
04/17/08 01:15 PM
Ron, you're very generous about the Hornets being underdogs, but come on. Hornets 30-11 at home, Mavs 17-24 on the road, Hornets have home court advantage... AND they just proved they can contain Dirk if they really tried. The only people picking the Mavs are the ones that think you need to have played in a gazillion playoff games in the past in order to have a chance.
#23
Ron Hitley
04/17/08 01:24 PM
@ XXL: I'm basing the underdog thing solely on what I hear and read from the media, and most of them are picking the Mavs. Do I agree with that? No. The Hornets shouldn't be underdogs, but if most folks expect them to lose, then that's what they are. I'll try get a post together tomorrow with series predictions from around the web.
www.hornets247.com #24
Anonymous
04/17/08 03:52 PM
Hornets/Suns would be such an entertaining series. I turely believe we are going to the finals this year. I have been a die hard hornets fan all of my life, through thick and thin, through 18 win seasons led by Dan Dickau to game 7 heart breakers led by Moster Mash and BDiddy. But this team, led by Chris Paul, there is something special about this team. For the first time I think we can go the finals. Round 1 Dallas Round2 Phoenix Round 3 LA That is the likely road. I BELIEVE we can do it. GO Hornets. Kick some Maverick ass!!!
#25
Stefan
04/17/08 04:36 PM
I don't think we'll have too much problems with the Mavs. Just like Chris Paul said, when he's the only starter without playoff experience, that's a good thing! I say we beat the Mavs 4-2.
#26
saltandcarbon
04/17/08 07:41 PM
I'm dead set jack of people writing off our Bees on the basis of this intangable "Playoff Experience". CP3 plays everygame like his entire family's life depended on it, Tyson was talking BEFORE THE REGULAR SEASON STARTED about how he was gagging to hit the big playoff stage. And if ourplayoff inexperience is a downside, surely it is AT LEAST equalled by the Mav's experience of choking in the big dance. If experience plays such a huge part in how you perform post-season, I think I'd take no experience over tail-between legs shame. My point being - holy overrated X-factors Batman. Once the series starts, I guarantee you its down to matchups. That's it. And as far as that goes, between us and the Mavs it really probably is anyone's guess.
saltandcarbon.blogspot.com #27
saltandcarbon
04/17/08 11:40 PM
Oh, yeah, I will pick that JuJu has Boobie Gibson game 6 outing at some stage this postseason, and he goes to the Rookie/Sophmore game next year. But that he doesn't start to suck after that.
saltandcarbon.blogspot.com #28
Andrea
04/18/08 11:03 AM
so tired of the lack of playoff experience argument..CP goes out and leaves everything on the floor for this team every night..like Coach Scott said the pressure is on the Mavs especially after the Kidd trade to make it past the first round and they've alsofolded in the majority of theirclose games since the trade happened..its all about individual matchups..PG matchup is even, they have the SG matchup, i'd give us the edge in PF matchup as long as David continues to be confident and aggressive, and I'd also give us the edge in the C matchup..what will be interesting to watch is who comes off our bench..no one on DAL can guard West one on one..they don't want Dirk playing him, Dampier's not quick enough, and Bass isn't strong enough..they'll attempt to hide Dirk by playing him on Chandler on defense but what i think Coach Scott should do is go small every once and awhile and move David over to the 5 and play Bonzi at the4 sometimes when Dampier and Dirk are out there because we have the quickness advantage..we can win as long as we make sure we can limit Jason Terry's production..if we do those things or at least half of them, i like our chances...hopefully our entire bench can rise to the occasion..
#29
Matthew
04/22/08 01:40 PM
<strong><em>IKNOW THE MAVsWILL WIN!!!!!!!!!!! Yall Suck</em></strong>
#30
Ashly Heilmann
05/01/08 07:41 AM
Dude, whatchannel, if you dont have cable,is the spurs going to play us?
ashlyheilman@yahoo.com #31
Ashly Heilmann
05/01/08 07:52 AM
And by the way, Im in Texas and I cheer for theSpurs. GO SPURS GO!!!! Yall suck!! Yeah I got on your web site... Hah! :)
ashlyheilman@yahoo.com #32
Ashly
05/02/08 07:13 AM
Hey. I text yall yesterday and yall didn't respond. come on. what channel if you dont have cable?
ashlyheilman@yahoo.com #33
Ron Hitley
05/02/08 07:16 AM
@ Ashly: For future reference, you shouldn't tell someone they suck if you want their help. All the Playoff games are on national TV. I think they are shared between TNT, ESPN and ABC. One or two were on NBA-TV during the first round, but I doubt that will be the case in the second round.
www.hornets247.com #34
Ashly Heilmann
05/07/08 07:40 AM
well i was wondering when i will see it. and sorry. i was a little hyper then. the game already passed and i will see the next game this thursday. thanks though.
ashlyheilman@yahoo.com #35
Ashly Heilmann
05/07/08 07:42 AM
hey, how is the spurs losing like that? they are the best of the best, right? :(
ashlyheilman@yahoo.com #36
Ron Hitley
05/07/08 08:19 AM
Check out our newer posts, Ashly. We've got plenty of Hornets-Spurs talk there.
www.hornets247.com #37