[SunSentinel] 'Old, tired' Hornets revitalized with Game 4 win

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/ sfl-hornets28apr28,0,3854332.story?coll=sfla-sports-heat 'Old, tired' Hornets revitalized with Game 4 win By Ed Cassiere Special correspondent By Ed Cassiere Special correspondent Posted April 28 2004 NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Hornets didn't look like the only NBA team with a 30-point loss on their playoff resume. Looking relaxed and refreshed and shooting surprisingly well for the majority of the first half, the Hornets tied their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Heat with a 96-85 victory. To paraphrase the mass-produced towels doing the wave all night long in the New Orleans Arena, the Hornets believe. And Tuesday the Hornets believed all their shots were going in. They made 17 of 25 shots in the first 19 minutes, led 50-44 at halftime, then roared back in the fourth quarter after a 22-6 run had given the Heat its biggest lead, 71-66. "We're the better team in the series now," said Hornets center Jamaal Magloire, who scored 12. "You couldn't see it the first two games." Late in the season, when the Hornets stumbled miserably and lost home-court advantage for the first round, they were rightfully accused of being old and tired. In Game 4 they were wily veterans. At one point Hornet forwards Stacey Augmon (35) and George Lynch (33) were each 4 of 4 from the floor. They finished with 28 points, 17 by Augmon, on 11-of-16 shooting. P.J. Brown, David Wesley and Darrell Armstrong, all 33 or older, combined for 23 more. "Veterans are taking over and doing a great job," Magloire said. "And not just scoring. They were doing little things that don't show up in the box score." But leading the Hornets for the second straight game was third-team all-NBA point guard Baron Davis, a relative pup at 24 but with a bum left ankle. His entrance didn't receive the ovation of a hobbled Willis Reed in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals, but his play for 43 minutes -- 23 points, 10 assists and zero turnovers -- had the fans murmuring. Despite his painful ankle, he drove to the basket without hesitation. He made 3-pointers with the shot clock approaching zero. Late in the first half, after getting knocked to the floor near his basket and coming up hopping, he recovered to swat away Eddie Jones' driving layup. "Baron's a tough guy," coach Tim Floyd said. "He came out and fought." Rookie forward David West put the Hornets ahead to stay, scoring three baskets in a 9-0 run that provided an 82-75 lead with 6:03 left. The Heat came no closer than four points thereafter. The first quarter was solid. The Hornets never went more than two consecutive possessions without scoring. The Hornets cooled in the second half but finished at 50 percent from the floor for the first time in 20 games. Twenty-seven of their 35 baskets were assisted. "Things are starting to come together," Davis said. "We're starting to play well and share the basketball as well as play defense. The thing about it is we have a lot of improvement to do throughout the series." Especially on the road, where the Hornets have won just three of their past 17 games since Feb. 17, including three consecutive losses at Miami. Copyright c 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 218.166.77.108