Patrick
01-28-2006, 09:15 PM
Hornets win. Who said the Hornets couldn't win in the latter half of the season? Glad to see the Hornets move ahead.
Hornets 95, Grizzlies 86
By The Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- David West scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds Saturday as the New Orleans Hornets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 95-86.
West led a fourth-quarter charge by New Orleans as the Hornets connected on 11 of 16 shots in the period to keep the Grizzlies at bay.
Six Hornets finished in double figures. Speedy Claxton led the Hornets with 20 points, including 17 in the second period. P.J. Brown had 18 points and Chris Paul finished with 13 despite hitting only one of his 13 shots from the field. Kirk Snyder and Desmond Mason each scored 10.
The Hornets played their first game without reserve forward Chris Andersen, who was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA Friday for violating the league's drug policy. Several Hornets wore Andersen's trademark headband.
Pau Gasol led Memphis with 25 points and 16 rebounds, while Bobby Jackson scored 22 points. Mike Miller added 11 points, but was only 1-of-6 from outside the 3-point arc.
The Hornets built the lead to 10 early in the fourth period, missing only one of their first seven shots. West and Snyder led the way, as New Orleans scored nine straight points as part of a 15-5 run spanning the third and fourth quarters.
New Orleans eventually built the lead to 11, and Memphis never got closer than seven points down the stretch.
The teams were tied at 45 at the half.
Claxton got untracked in the second quarter, scoring 17 of his 18 first-half points in the period as New Orleans erased an early 10-point lead for the Grizzlies.
A large portion of Memphis' success came from the inside-out combination of Gasol and Jackson.
Gasol hit his first five shots and all four of his free throws for 14 points, while grabbing nine rebounds. Jackson was hitting from long range, going 5-of-8 for 13 points.
In the second half, New Orleans resorted to double-teaming Gasol in the post. With the Grizzlies having trouble from the outside, the strategy was effective. Gasol was left with few shots, some of which came when he resorted to 15- to 18-footers.
Meanwhile, West was successfully working against Gasol for nine straight points late in the stanza. West's fadeaway 6-footer as the horn sounded to end the third period gave New Orleans a 67-65 lead entering the final quarter.
Hornets 95, Grizzlies 86
By The Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- David West scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds Saturday as the New Orleans Hornets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 95-86.
West led a fourth-quarter charge by New Orleans as the Hornets connected on 11 of 16 shots in the period to keep the Grizzlies at bay.
Six Hornets finished in double figures. Speedy Claxton led the Hornets with 20 points, including 17 in the second period. P.J. Brown had 18 points and Chris Paul finished with 13 despite hitting only one of his 13 shots from the field. Kirk Snyder and Desmond Mason each scored 10.
The Hornets played their first game without reserve forward Chris Andersen, who was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA Friday for violating the league's drug policy. Several Hornets wore Andersen's trademark headband.
Pau Gasol led Memphis with 25 points and 16 rebounds, while Bobby Jackson scored 22 points. Mike Miller added 11 points, but was only 1-of-6 from outside the 3-point arc.
The Hornets built the lead to 10 early in the fourth period, missing only one of their first seven shots. West and Snyder led the way, as New Orleans scored nine straight points as part of a 15-5 run spanning the third and fourth quarters.
New Orleans eventually built the lead to 11, and Memphis never got closer than seven points down the stretch.
The teams were tied at 45 at the half.
Claxton got untracked in the second quarter, scoring 17 of his 18 first-half points in the period as New Orleans erased an early 10-point lead for the Grizzlies.
A large portion of Memphis' success came from the inside-out combination of Gasol and Jackson.
Gasol hit his first five shots and all four of his free throws for 14 points, while grabbing nine rebounds. Jackson was hitting from long range, going 5-of-8 for 13 points.
In the second half, New Orleans resorted to double-teaming Gasol in the post. With the Grizzlies having trouble from the outside, the strategy was effective. Gasol was left with few shots, some of which came when he resorted to 15- to 18-footers.
Meanwhile, West was successfully working against Gasol for nine straight points late in the stanza. West's fadeaway 6-footer as the horn sounded to end the third period gave New Orleans a 67-65 lead entering the final quarter.