The Hornets open a four-game home stand tonight and hope to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. The Portland Trail Blazers will be the foe.
We've already played the Blazers three times this season and beaten them twice. Last time we played these guys was January 3 in Portland, when Tyson got kicked out and we won anyway. Of course, Tyson will be missing all of this game.
The Blazers are 29-17 on the season (tied with our 28-16 record in the standings), 11-12 on the road and busy riding a four-game win streak after beating Utah on Saturday.
Game tips at 7 Central. Pass the time between now and then by checking out the abundance of good linkage below.
Linkage:
- Ryan's game preview, featuring a Q&A with Henry Abbott.
- Journals: Hornets Action #1
- Lagniappe: Game recaps, flopping, CP's assist drought, and then some.
- Rival bloggers: Blaze of Love | Blazer's Edge | Bust a Bucket
(Special thanks to Dariusz for the new banner and the CP image.)
35 awesome comments post your own
mW
02/02/09 05:45 PM
Hornet. Oh Hornets. Please win. I beseech thee.
www.hornetshype.com #1
Juncti
02/02/09 06:37 PM
Given our bi-polar performances of this season, and the two duds we've recently dropped, I'd say we're due for one of those spectacular games where we just come out and take the game from the opening bell.
We will soon see.
#2
Niall Doherty
02/02/09 06:57 PM
Injury report: Blazers without Webster and Blake. Hornets missing Mo and Tyson.
www.ndoherty.com #3
Mark
02/02/09 07:06 PM
Not pictured: Joel Priscilla crying in the locker room.
www.dogpile.com/ #4
Mark
02/02/09 07:19 PM
CP assist count: 6
www.dogpile.com/ #5
fsumatthunter
02/02/09 07:24 PM
first 7 possessions he had an assist
inthehuntwithhunter.blogspot.com #6
Mark
02/02/09 07:28 PM
NINE
www.dogpile.com/ #7
lilrip133
02/02/09 07:52 PM
im pretty impressed with our work on the offensive boards so far this game. hilton armstrong's playing pretty well
#8
Andrea
02/02/09 08:13 PM
This has absolutely nothing to do with the game but there's a headline on Yahoo! that reads: Jazz G Williams out against Hornets....the first line in the article reads: Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams was out Monday against Charlotte with a thigh injury
For the last time, there's no such thing as the Charlotte Hornets!!!
Back to the game...
I was following it on game channel but I'm getting ready to watch the second half
#9
Niall Doherty
02/02/09 08:17 PM
7 offensive boards in Q1 but none in Q2. We've only shot 3 FT's. Other than that, all is pretty good. Great individual and team D on Roy. Good bench contributions, balanced scoring. I thought our shot selection got a little worse before the half but we kept scoring. Very interesting game so far. I like our efforts on both sides of the ball.
www.ndoherty.com #10
Mark
02/02/09 08:31 PM
Everything seems to be hitting for us tonight from a distance. So far Juncti's on spot with the comment, but we'll see how we finish.
For all the size by the Blazers and 'oh, we're so tough' image, they're pretty weak on the boards, at least from this game.
www.dogpile.com/ #11
Mark
02/02/09 08:34 PM
ALOT of tapping by Marks and Armstrong. Good efforts.
www.dogpile.com/ #12
stormsurge
02/02/09 08:42 PM
Always a good sign when we take the 2nd Q.
www.stormsurgephoto.com #13
mW
02/02/09 08:49 PM
Not to mention a 15 point lead going into the final stanza.
www.hornetshype.com #14
Andrea
02/02/09 08:52 PM
We better not lose this one. It would be wise if Byron didn't put CP back in whether he's fine or not even if POR does come back and make it a close game.
#15
Andrea
02/02/09 09:15 PM
This is complete bullshit. We're gonna lose this game.
#16
stormsurge
02/02/09 09:15 PM
Losing the 4th by 20+? Not so good.
www.stormsurgephoto.com #17
Dejan16
02/02/09 09:16 PM
omg f*** i cannot believe this.... how can we just give up when paul goes out i dont care how good he is, you cannot let the other team out score you 30-10 god.
#18
Akademik_Hooligan
02/02/09 09:16 PM
This 4th quarter was straight out of the 18-64 season. Even without CP, there's no excuse.
#19
flowerfeeder
02/02/09 09:22 PM
This game is proof that Chris Paul is the NBA's REAL MVP.
www.myspace.com/noroomforsaints #20
Mark
02/02/09 09:22 PM
Pretty blatant holes visible from this game. Coach Scott is an idiot. We can't play the same style with AND without CP. Why are we 'modeling' ourselves from the Spurs when we only shoot jumpers? No post game? No play changes? No direction?
I boo the Hornets tonight. Lazy Js, no ball movement, minimal physical effort (a.k.a. no boards), terrible coaching.
www.dogpile.com/ #21
Andrea
02/02/09 09:22 PM
What in the world is wrong with this team? CP leaves and you're up 17 points with an opportunity for guys to step up in Chris' absence. You're at home and you have NO pressure on you whatsoever. Portland's on the road, down 17, B.Roy doesn't have it going then CP leaves and they have a ton of pressure on them because they know now is the time for them to get back in it and unlike us, they capitalize fully on the opportunity. It will be interesting to see what Byron has to say after this game. We imploded. It's disgusting.
Seriously, if you can't win AT HOME when you're up 17 and without you're best player for only a quarter and a half.....
#22
Mark
02/02/09 09:23 PM
flowerfeeder: Unfortunate, but that's exactly what I was thinking. Real, real unfortunate.
www.dogpile.com/ #23
Caleb462
02/02/09 09:24 PM
The team should be ashamed. Absolutely helpless without Paul...
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #24
Andrea
02/02/09 09:27 PM
@IHBH: I agree that we can't play the same style with AD that we play with CP. Did he really expect him (or any other PG in the league for that matter) to come in and be able to run that type of offense? Why Byron didn't make adjustments is beyond me. We called 2 or 3 timeouts (that I noticed) during the 4th after we had either a turnover/bad play/bad possession then came out of the timeout and did basically the same things..
@Dejan16: It's sickening, isn't it?
#25
Snave
02/02/09 09:28 PM
This loss should be one of those soul searching, wtf is wrong with us, we better not let that ever happen again loss.
www.tehStyleGuide.com/forums #26
Caleb462
02/02/09 09:30 PM
Good point louisianagyr... those timeouts didn't do a damn thing. We saw the same ugly, no ball movement, throw up an ugly shot near the end of the shot clock offense after the timeouts... just as before.
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #27
Akademik_Hooligan
02/02/09 09:37 PM
I think tonight was the 1st time I've genuinely lost faith in coach Scott. He seemed incapable of mixing things up. He seems to have one style of play, and if the players are their that suit that style, then it's all good, but if anything happens to upset his line-up, he's found wanting. The one dimensional style of B-Ball is risky enough even with everyone healthy.
Pick & roll, Pick & pop, a 3-ball in transition. Dump it to D-West in the post and expect a miracle. That's our offense, open & shut.
#28
Mark
02/02/09 09:38 PM
louisanagyrl, that's EXACTLY what I mean. The Bees commentators said 'it's a different thing losing Chris Paul before the game because you have time for preparation'. Um, what? Does Byron Scott not know what to do with Antonio Daniels? Devin Brown? Any of our players?
What does that man really do besides put on a game face? You think him 'coaching' the Nets to the Finals had anything to do with Jason Kidd, future hall of famer, averaging almost a trip-doub? I hate blaming the coach, but he hasn't shown anything for me, wins or losses.
www.dogpile.com/ #29
Mark
02/02/09 09:45 PM
Here's a hint: Because Devin Brown likes driving so much, set up a dribble-drive offense. He drives, then finds our wings (who never move anyway) or takes it himself. Just teach him to put his head up.
Now where's my check?
www.dogpile.com/ #30
Andrea
02/02/09 09:49 PM
@Akademik: I agree. I mean Byron made NO adjustments. Not a few; he made none. His worst coaching performance so far this season.
He's not the only one to blame. Posey didn't do anything, West made a few shots, grabbed a few rebounds. 6'10" Peja Stojakovic settles for the 3-pters and long 2s.
Portland picks up their 4th team foul at the 8:30 mark of the 4th. From that point on, we go to the line 4 times and make 3 of those. That happens when you're a jumpshooting team.
#31
Roc217
02/02/09 10:07 PM
Bryon is warried poopless. The look in his eye was like watching the season slip away as CP walked to the locker room.
I can't even type how I feel. it's so much to say and most of it has been said all season. They better hope the players do better in the games he misses than they did in the 4th
#32
YoungFella
02/02/09 10:26 PM
Tonight epitomizes why the Hornets went out and signed James "Big Game" Posey to a 4 year, $25 Million dollar contract this offseason. He is the type of veteran leader who will simply WILL his team to victory with smart, heady play, his creating of turnovers and cheap transition buckets, and the way he pop that crucial J in a defender's face to stem the tide of an opponent's rally.
#33
YoungFella
02/02/09 10:35 PM
I'm going to take a different tack on the criticism of coach Scott tonight.
Down the stretch our lineup prominently featured:
"Tony Toni Tone" Daniels (11 year vet)
Peja "Game 7" Stojakovic (10 year vet)
"Mr. Efficient" James Posey (9 year vet)
Rasual "Bop" Butler (6 year vet)
David "Fluffy" West (5 year vet)
These guys should be capable of closing out a double-digit lead. What is Scott going to to, call a timeout and diagram the offense? Seriously? He's going to do that with 11 and 10 and 9 year veterans?
I don't think so. Not unless he wants a revolt on his hands. This one's on the players.
#34
mW
02/03/09 01:40 PM
I'm with Youngfella.
www.hornetshype.com #35