After a thorough loss against the Los Angeles Lakes 104-88 the night before at the Staple Center, the New Orleans Hornets bounced right back to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-84 this Monday in the same arena. The Hornets needed the win to end their losing streak, which left them on the short end in four of the last five games. In the process, they halted the Clippers’ three-game victory run and placed themselves at 11th in the Western Conference. The Clippers are right behind them, at 12th.
The first two minutes of the game saw back-to-back baskets from each side. However, after a great three-pointer by Devin Brown, New Orleans had a run of 3 three-pointers to take a 9 point lead with 6:10 left to play in the first quarter. The Clippers tried to respond with several shots but New Orleans’ shooting efficiency allowed the Hornets to cling to their lead.
The quarter ended 35-28, in favor of New Orleans. In the second quarter, the Hornets focused on maintaining their lead. Great shooting by New Orleans player Chris Paul prevented the Clippers from cutting the score, and by the time halftime opened, New Orleans had increased its lead to 14 points and left the score at 60-46. The only kink in the Hornets’ game occurred in the second, when Chris Paul injured his ankle at the end of the quarter. He made a beeline for the locker room, but returned to the court with 2:47 left in the third to raise the lead to 25 points. In the final minutes, the Hornets enjoyed a 12-point run that pushed their lead to 31 points, setting the score at 94-36.
In the decisive fourth quarter, the Clippers tried a rescue with some early baskets and a 16-4 run. But their efforts weren’t enough. Hornets player Armstrong answered with 10 consecutive points to put the score at 110-82 in favor of New Orleans with only 1:21 left.
Devin Brown and Steve Novak added two baskets, and the game finished in favor of the Hornets, 112-84. At the game’s end, Paul said the win was a good step for his team, especially to keep the players growing and fighting for better results. This victory meant a lot, as the Hornets have struggled in the first games of the season.
However, Paul said that with strong teamwork and a good attitude, the Hornets would improve during the second part of the season. “Every time we win a game, we can’t think we’ve solved the problems. We’ve just got t keep playing hard.
A win tonight doesn’t cure everything. It’s not like we’re still not going to have our issues and our problems. But tonight was a step in the right direction,” stated Paul. The best scorers for the New Orleans Hornets were Devin Brown with 25 points and 5 rebounds; Chris Paul with 24 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds; David West with 17 points and 9 rebounds; Hilton Armstrong with 12 points and 6 rebounds, and finally Predrag Stojakovic with 12 points and 3 rebounds. For the L.A Clippers, the best scorers were Rasual Butler with 14 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds; Ricky Davis with 14 points, 5 assists and 6 rebounds; Chris Kaman with 14 points and 6 rebounds and ultimately Baron Davis, Al Thornton and Sebastian Telfair with 8 points each. About the Author Ally White is a top senior copy writer on NBA games and sports action for the sportsbetting www.instantactionsports.com/. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, please leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content..
