I sat through that dreaded first quarter last night. Right before tip-off I was talking on Twitter about how the Hornets couldn’t fall behind to the Spurs early because they were not a team that you catch back up to and beat. As that dreaded quarter stormed on, there were comments from Twitter folks that would include:
- This looks like a JV basketball team
- This team looks like they have never played before
- We’re going to be down 20 before this quarter ends (that one was mine)
We were actually down 21 points after that first quarter ended. I even contemplated changing the channel or even going and doing something else. Instead, I hunkered down, sat patiently, and I did like I try to do in every other game; I did not tweet unless there was a commercial or break in the action. What I proceeded to witness over the next 36 minutes amazed me. It astounded me, and by the end of the game, I was tired, sore, excited, and it took me to midnight to calm down to a point to go to bed.
Charlotte’s battle back from the pits of despair was a record breaking one. The Spurs, who were 22-0 against teams where they had a 20+ point lead, notched their first loss. Every Spurs player was available to play, and they all played (with the exception of Matt Bonner and Andre Miller). After the win, I went and told my 12 year old son about how bad the 1st quarter was. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then, when I told him that the Hornets won, he asked how they did it. So…how DID they do it?
Kemba Walker finally had an off night. We all knew it would happen. He was due. I’d rather for him have an off night now than in the playoffs. Kemba struggled heavily against Tony Parker. Kemba would go behind screens and Parker would lose him. He’d try to go through screens and get pinned down. It was just a tough, tough night for Kemba as he finished with just 6 points on a terrible 2-11 shooting, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers in 30 minutes of play. Kemba’s human, and I could easily see him bouncing back tonight, scoring in the 20s and dishing assists again. Last night became Jeremy Lin night. Lin entered the game and he heated up. He flat stepped up to the task of catching and dismantling the Spurs. He did exactly what was needed to in order to lead the team to victory. If I were to look at the stats for the night, one of the first areas I look at are assists. As a team, we were out assisted 23-18. That usually spells a loss for us. Our first quarter shooting percentage was in the teens.
Here is where those stats get fun. We out-rebounded the Spurs 47-46. We “out-stole” the Spurs 11 -9. We turned the ball over less than the Spurs (16 – 14). The bottom line is that the Hornets played 36 minutes of what I am proud to call Hornets Hardball. Some fans may remember the days of old when Dave Cowens coached the Hornets 1.0, and “Hornets Hardball” was the moniker for our “Men of Teal”. In his 3 years here, the Hornets made the playoffs twice. We saw the defensive prowess of our current Hornets really step up. Hornets Hardball 2.0 reared its head last night, and we bounced back by outscoring the Spurs in the last 3 quarters (29 – 23, 31 – 21, and 24 – 16). Our key players in the victory were some of the unsung heroes that are sometimes overlooked. Jeremy Lin had 29 points on 11-18 shooting (61%). He was a flawless 4-4 from the 3-point line, 3-3 from the foul line, and he had 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Performances like that remind the NBA the level of depth our bench has. Kemba couldn’t get things going, so Lin came in and drove the fans to a level of Linsanity that the Hive has never felt before. Lin’s partner in crime that sparked this comeback on offense and defense was Courtney Lee. Lee had 17 points on 8-13 shooting (61.5%). Lee also added 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals (the last one being the game clinching steal). The help doesn’t stop there either. Nic Batum contributed 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Cody Zeller was my other key player, and could have easily been given an award for “coming out” against some elite big men. Cody had 6 points and tied his career high rebound number with 14. Zeller also had 3 assists and a steal. Rebounds can be as valuable as points, and as we all know, Zeller is one of more than a few players where what they do on the court can’t be quantified, but means the world to the team’s success.
Amazingly, last night, when my son asked me how the Hornets came back and won the game, I had much, much less to say. Honestly, it wasn’t easy to put into words. My simple response to him was, “You just had to see the game.” I am hoping that NBA TV re-shows this game as it could easily be one of the best Hornets games that I have seen since the Hornets came into existence. What was the best part of the victory? This was the first “nationally televised” game the Hornets have had all season. Everyone got to see the Hornets play poorly, then step up to beat a team that could be favored to win the championship this year. Just for the record, the Cavaliers also got beat in The Hive this season.
So what do I think the Hornets chances are for the playoffs? I’m standing solid by a possible Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Everyone is healthy, we are meshing as a team, and last night’s game was no fluke. Our next test is tonight’s game. It is game 2 of a back-to-back as the Hornets fly to Brooklyn to face the Nets tonight. This is one of those games where we must continue to show no mercy. We must keep our foot on the gas and destroy every team in our path. Every win gets us closer to the possibility of a home court advantage in the playoffs. With the hornets being 27-11 at home, I want that advantage. The Hive is alive and buzzing with the prospect of playoff basketball. I can’t wait!
Let’s Go Hornets!
#KeepSwarming
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
