New Orleans Hornets beat Clippers, give Coach Jeff Bower his first victory

– John Reid, The Times Picayune

In the locker room after Tuesday nights game against the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans General Manager/Coach Jeff Bower had his players gather around him. He told them they gave a good effort, but he was caught off guard when injured point guard Chris Paul handed him the game ball.

After experiencing consecutive defeats since taking over for fired coach Byron Scott, Bower got his first victory 110-102 against the Los Angeles Clippers in front of 13,116 at the New Orleans Arena.

Paul, who is sidelined indefinitely with a sprained left ankle, was cheering and talking with teammates on the bench throughout the game.

"When Chris came in and gave him the game ball, it put a smile on my face," guard Bobby Brown said. "For him to get his first win is very exciting." . . .

. . . Power forward Ike Diogu said he plans to resume practicing this Friday after going the past two weeks without practicing to allow his sprained left knee time to heal. Diogu, who missed the entire preseason and the first 12 games of the regular season, said he was examined by a doctor in New York on Nov. 2 who recommended he avoid all contact drills for two weeks.

(Ryan’s Take: Despite all attempts by various writers to claim otherwise, Chris Paul remains a class act. And it’s good to hear about Diogu again.)

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