Fresh off perhaps their biggest win of the season, the Hornets have another tough test tonight as they take on the 19-15 Thunder in Oklahoma City.
OKC have been looking good of late, their lone loss in the last seven games coming in overtime at Milwaukee. Kevin Durant has been killing it, scoring 30+ in seven consecutive games before settling for 25 in Monday's win against the Bulls. For the season he's averaging 28.4 points, 6.9 boards and 3 assists, while showing significant improvement defensively. Sophomore point guard Russell Westbrook has also been starring for the Thunder, averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 assists this season.
Nenad Krstic is out with a hand injury, but beyond that OKC will have all their key pieces tonight.
The Hornets are hoping to stay unbeaten in 2010 and build on Monday's win in Utah. Beyond tonight's game they've got some weak opponents lined up.
This one tips at 7 Central. Join me chatting it up during the game at ESPN's Daily Dime Live.
Linkage:
- Journals: Bees playing smarter hoops
- ESPN.com: Feeding the big man in New Orleans
- Lagniappe: Hating Devin, CP's steal, trade talk and lots more
- Rival bloggers: Blue Blitz | Daily Thunder.com (THN) | Thunder Rumblings
(Many thanks to Dariusz for the banner, today featuring assistant coach Robert Pack, who played for the Hornets back in 2003. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz's designs in our Wallpapers vault.)
24 mighty comments post your own
Diane
01/06/10 03:44 PM
Niall,
This just isn't the same crowd - I'm sure there are lots of the same people but they act different. They like their Thunder team but it doesn't seem like puppy love as with The Hornets. They loved The Hornets in a different way. I guess that's girl talk. I'm sorry I can't make the game tonight got another commitment. Its really hard to know how The Thunder will play. I can say one thing they have learned over this season that if shots aren't going down they will change play and make it work. Earlier this season and last year they didn't do that. They kept playing the same way. I know it will be a good game.
#1
downtowndave78
01/06/10 04:40 PM
@Diane- I don't understand what you are saying about the OKC fans. Do you think the OKC fans liked the Hornets more, is it the other way around, or was it puppy love meaning that you guys loved the Hornets very briefly only to quickly lose the love once the thunder rolled into town?
#2
YoungFella
01/06/10 05:43 PM
Durant is sick. I think factoring in his age and upside he's a top 3 player.
Only guys you'd want over him (again with age and position factors) would be LeBron and Dwight Howard.
He's fun to watch. His jumper at this age is better than LeBron's was at this point in his career. I'm surprised he hasn't bulked up more though - he won't be able to bully his way to the number of easy baskets that LeBron gets night in and night out.
#3
downtowndave78
01/06/10 05:54 PM
To sick to play?
Does anyone think Bower is going to use more of JuJu tonight to try and slow down Durant? I hope so.
#4
Diane
01/06/10 06:14 PM
puppy love - from the dictionary - sentimental, adolescent love, or infatuation,
I just don't care about The Thunder the way I care about The Hornets. I like them both.
#5
YoungFella
01/06/10 06:24 PM
"Does anyone think Bower is going to use more of JuJu tonight to try and slow down Durant?"
Wouldn't this be the equivalent of eating more Big Macs to try and lose weight?
#6
Jib
01/06/10 06:28 PM
@YF- The fact that Durant has those averages is proof that you are right about how good he is. He needs bulkiness to being able to defend bigger people.
@downtown- I think the same thing, and Wright may guard him for the few minutes he is in, otherwise I think Posey may carry most the load
#7
YoungFella
01/06/10 06:38 PM
I'd argue that whatever defensive upgrade JuJu gives you is more than negated by his offensive turnover ratio and way he disrupts our offense.
#8
Jib
01/06/10 06:46 PM
True his offense is... well just awful at times:P
But then again that can be said about the Hornets most of this year. Is a cold Peja or a "don't know what you're gonna get" performance from Posey going to work any better considering their on ball defense isn't as good? If Durant starts hot and Peja continues to have this cold streak, it would be a reasonable move.
#9
Julia
01/06/10 07:27 PM
Does it seem to you guys that Chris seems to be taking more 3's?? Maybe he doesn't but the threes that he takes is just highlighted in my head. Didn't he used to have one of the best 3 point percentages before his injury? Anyone know what it is now?
#10
Caleb462
01/06/10 07:45 PM
Julia... he's averaging 2.7 3-pt attempts per game this season, which is right around his career average... so no I don't think he's taking more threes.
He did indeed have one of the best 3-pt percentages earlier in the season, but it was an absolutely unsustainable percentage - I think it was up to like 58% or something ridiculous like that. At the moment it stands at 43.1% - which is still insanely good.
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #11
Niall Doherty
01/06/10 08:11 PM
Liking the balanced attack in the first half: 8 Hornets scored 4 points or more. Good mix of deep shooting, inside scoring and mid-range J's. Not many turnovers either. I'm not all that impressed with the perimeter defense though, guys like Green and Maynor were breaking through too easily. Need to clean up the rebounding too.
www.ndoherty.com #12
Niall Doherty
01/06/10 08:12 PM
And I don't think it matters who guards Kevin Durant. I don't think the Hornets have anyone who can slow him.
www.ndoherty.com #13
Jib
01/06/10 08:15 PM
durant and green 31
everyone else 15
take the hint!!!
#14
Caleb462
01/06/10 08:36 PM
D. West with the "And One!" call and he actually got it! Yeah!
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #15
Caleb462
01/06/10 08:37 PM
On the negative side... *Kristic* is torching us.
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #16
420ftJesus
01/06/10 08:50 PM
@Diane: One of my favorite aphorisms is that you can't go home again. That's true in so many ways with your situation.
Good game, but I wish we could hold these leads.
Also, that fake Devin Brown twitter feed is the greatest thing on Third Earth. Really.
#17
Caleb462
01/06/10 08:58 PM
Very entertaining game... but yeah I hate that it keeps looking like the team is going to build a lead but then its a tie game again in a couple of minutes. Thunder have become a pretty solid team though, so its not surprising.
CP making some sick passes but the jumper seems to be off tonight. Songalia's jumper also not falling like usual. One point lead at the moment....
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #18
420ftJesus
01/06/10 09:22 PM
I love it when the good guys really milk the clock when they have a lead.
The only thing you can trade for points is time.
Ticktickticktick.....
#19
420ftJesus
01/06/10 09:24 PM
Boom!
#20
Caleb462
01/06/10 09:30 PM
Two road wins in a row, against good teams! Nice.
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #21
Niall Doherty
01/06/10 09:34 PM
Great to get that win. Hornets showing a lot of resilience lately, though the execution down the stretch was poor. Luckily OKC's was worse (how did they not even get the ball in Durant's hands on the last play?).
Four-game winning streak now, longest this season, with six winnable games coming up. Time to make up some ground in the West.
www.ndoherty.com #22
YoungFella
01/06/10 10:47 PM
This team looks markedly different over the past week and a half.
That stretch late in the 4th where DX, Posey, CP3, and Okafor all had great hustle plays was something that I haven't seen so far this season.
CP3 especially looks like he has that old chip back - before he just had a grumpy/pissed off chip on his shoulder, but this chip I've seen the last two games is more like that pumped up/pissed off chip. It's way closer to the 2007/2008 Chris Paul who was borderline league MVP.
I can watch this team. This isn't a team that will give up 2-17 runs every other game. That was draining and maddening. You invest an hour and 20 minutes watching a close game and then your team gives up their eleventh 2-17 run of season and you want to shoot your TV.
#23
LSUhornet
01/06/10 11:40 PM
I'm too pumped up to talk about any actual basketball that went on tonight, at least for now. I'm just gonna repeat my initial reaction on twitter right after the win (and 4 pints at Cooter Brown's):
Damn proud to be a fan of a winning team once again. 17-16. It's a starting point. Let's go. GEAUX HORNETS
#24