Doug Loudenback
01-27-2006, 05:40 AM
Well, we’ve sure had our jollies the past couple of days relishing Coach Byron Scott’s remarks to the media (if you’ve been on some other planet, see http://www.hornetscentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=864 and http://www.hornetscentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=887 , for example), but I guess it’s time to get back to bidness, ain’t it, Sam?
The last two games have been two of the poorest performances by our Hometown Hornets this year. First, we had the thrill of victory in New York on 1/21, Saturday, winning convincingly in Madison Square Garden 109-98 before 19,763 Knicks fans, a game in which CP3 dazzled the yankees and we were poised to go above .500 and go 21-20 with a victory in the next game. But, two days later we get whacked in Boston on 1/23, 78-91, before 14,473 bean eaters, and then return to the Ford on 1/25 to get roundly defeated by the “other canal” city in Baja Oklahoma, 68-84, before 19,289 quieted Loud City fans. So, it’s been “two steps back” and the Hornets are now 20-22. We’re still in the playoff hunt, though, and we’ve got almost half a season to get there. See below.
The game is at 7:00 and is on Cox - but is it BWW time, again?
Saturday’s 1/28 game at Memphis will be a tough one to get going again ... but, hey, who knows? Maybe the Hornets that beat Denver, Phoenix, and New York on the road will be showing up to play on Saturday night and the season will pick up momentum again.
It will take grit and determination and maybe just plain ol’ good luck to have that happen, though, because Memphis is tough, really tough. The Grizzlies may be remembering that we beat them on 1/18 in Oklahoma City 87-79 in a game snatched away from Baton Rogue. They may want to get even. They’ve got the juice to do so. The Hornets and Memphis are 1-1 on the year, the Hornets losing 73-89 in Memphis on 12/6/05.
The Grizzlies hold down the 4th spot in our tough Southwest Division of the Western Conference at 25-16. They would be playoff team #5 in the Conference if the season was over right now. A playoff snapshot right now is: #1 San Antonio (33-10 and leading the SW division); #2 Phoenix (27-15 and leading the Pacific division); #3 Denver (25-19, leading the Northwest division); #4 Dallas (33-10); #5 Memphis (25-16); #6 Clippers (23-16); #7 Lakers (22-19); and # 8 Utah (21-22). The Hornets are presently #9 (20-22, .476), Miami is #10 (19-21, .476), and Golden State is #11 (19-22, .463). So, the run for the 8th spot is very very close.
Memphis is 14-6 at home where they have beaten (in chronological order) Cleveland, Seattle, Lakers, Houston, Orlando, NOLA/OKC, Phoenix, Portland, Chicago, Golden State, Utah, Sacramento, New Jersey, and, last Wednesday, Minnesota (105-87). Their losses are to Miami, Portland, Dallas, Lakers, Detroit, and San Antonio on 1/16. Tonight, they play at even mightier Detroit (35-5). If you can see it, that might be the game to watch tonight!
The Hornets, while having flashes of greatness on the road, most recently last Saturday in New York, are 8-14 on the road, 9-15 if the Norman and Baton Rogue games are treated as “road”. I won’t elaborate further about that ... here’s the record: http://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/HornetsSchedule.htm .
The Grizzlies’ starters in their last game (Minnesota) were: Pau Gasol (#16, 7-0, Spain; 19.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.3 apg - he scored 30 against Minnesota)); Eddie Jones (#6, 6-6, Temple; 13.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.9 apg); Bobby Jackson (#24, 6-1, Minnesota; 11.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.2 apg); Shane Battier (#31, 6-8, Duke; 11.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg); and Lorenzen Wright (#42, 6-11, Memphis; 5.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.8 apg). Mike Miller (#33, 6-8, Florida; 13.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.5 apg) gave great bench support, scoring 18 points. Damon Stoudamire had successful surgery on 1/3 to repair a ruptured right patellar tendon and is expected to be out the remainder of the season.
http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/gasol_140_050710.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/act_eddie_jones.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/act_bobby_jackson.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/battier_140_050710.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/act_lorenzen_wright.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/miller_140_050710.jpg
Surprisingly, the Grizzlies don’t get the fan support they deserve. They average 16,073, 22nd in the NBA, in the FedEx Forum having a capacity of 18,119.
http://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/memphis.fedexforum1.jpghttp://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/memphis.fedexforum2.jpg
After Saturday, the Hornets return home on Monday, 1/30, to host the Milwaukee Bucks, presently 21-20. We DEFINITELY need to be there and, when Coach Scott (especially) runs through the fire at the start of the game, let him KNOW that we thank him for how he feels and for what he said. BE THERE, OKC HORNETS FANS!
GO HORNETS!
The last two games have been two of the poorest performances by our Hometown Hornets this year. First, we had the thrill of victory in New York on 1/21, Saturday, winning convincingly in Madison Square Garden 109-98 before 19,763 Knicks fans, a game in which CP3 dazzled the yankees and we were poised to go above .500 and go 21-20 with a victory in the next game. But, two days later we get whacked in Boston on 1/23, 78-91, before 14,473 bean eaters, and then return to the Ford on 1/25 to get roundly defeated by the “other canal” city in Baja Oklahoma, 68-84, before 19,289 quieted Loud City fans. So, it’s been “two steps back” and the Hornets are now 20-22. We’re still in the playoff hunt, though, and we’ve got almost half a season to get there. See below.
The game is at 7:00 and is on Cox - but is it BWW time, again?
Saturday’s 1/28 game at Memphis will be a tough one to get going again ... but, hey, who knows? Maybe the Hornets that beat Denver, Phoenix, and New York on the road will be showing up to play on Saturday night and the season will pick up momentum again.
It will take grit and determination and maybe just plain ol’ good luck to have that happen, though, because Memphis is tough, really tough. The Grizzlies may be remembering that we beat them on 1/18 in Oklahoma City 87-79 in a game snatched away from Baton Rogue. They may want to get even. They’ve got the juice to do so. The Hornets and Memphis are 1-1 on the year, the Hornets losing 73-89 in Memphis on 12/6/05.
The Grizzlies hold down the 4th spot in our tough Southwest Division of the Western Conference at 25-16. They would be playoff team #5 in the Conference if the season was over right now. A playoff snapshot right now is: #1 San Antonio (33-10 and leading the SW division); #2 Phoenix (27-15 and leading the Pacific division); #3 Denver (25-19, leading the Northwest division); #4 Dallas (33-10); #5 Memphis (25-16); #6 Clippers (23-16); #7 Lakers (22-19); and # 8 Utah (21-22). The Hornets are presently #9 (20-22, .476), Miami is #10 (19-21, .476), and Golden State is #11 (19-22, .463). So, the run for the 8th spot is very very close.
Memphis is 14-6 at home where they have beaten (in chronological order) Cleveland, Seattle, Lakers, Houston, Orlando, NOLA/OKC, Phoenix, Portland, Chicago, Golden State, Utah, Sacramento, New Jersey, and, last Wednesday, Minnesota (105-87). Their losses are to Miami, Portland, Dallas, Lakers, Detroit, and San Antonio on 1/16. Tonight, they play at even mightier Detroit (35-5). If you can see it, that might be the game to watch tonight!
The Hornets, while having flashes of greatness on the road, most recently last Saturday in New York, are 8-14 on the road, 9-15 if the Norman and Baton Rogue games are treated as “road”. I won’t elaborate further about that ... here’s the record: http://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/HornetsSchedule.htm .
The Grizzlies’ starters in their last game (Minnesota) were: Pau Gasol (#16, 7-0, Spain; 19.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.3 apg - he scored 30 against Minnesota)); Eddie Jones (#6, 6-6, Temple; 13.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.9 apg); Bobby Jackson (#24, 6-1, Minnesota; 11.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.2 apg); Shane Battier (#31, 6-8, Duke; 11.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg); and Lorenzen Wright (#42, 6-11, Memphis; 5.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.8 apg). Mike Miller (#33, 6-8, Florida; 13.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.5 apg) gave great bench support, scoring 18 points. Damon Stoudamire had successful surgery on 1/3 to repair a ruptured right patellar tendon and is expected to be out the remainder of the season.
http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/gasol_140_050710.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/act_eddie_jones.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/act_bobby_jackson.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/battier_140_050710.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/act_lorenzen_wright.jpg http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/miller_140_050710.jpg
Surprisingly, the Grizzlies don’t get the fan support they deserve. They average 16,073, 22nd in the NBA, in the FedEx Forum having a capacity of 18,119.
http://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/memphis.fedexforum1.jpghttp://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/memphis.fedexforum2.jpg
After Saturday, the Hornets return home on Monday, 1/30, to host the Milwaukee Bucks, presently 21-20. We DEFINITELY need to be there and, when Coach Scott (especially) runs through the fire at the start of the game, let him KNOW that we thank him for how he feels and for what he said. BE THERE, OKC HORNETS FANS!
GO HORNETS!