And Game One’s in the books, ladies and gentlemen.
Down 4 at halftime, the Hornets came out and owned the second half. David West dropped 30, and as David West goes, so go the Hornets. And so they went, totally shutting down Tim Duncan and forcing him into the worst game of his playoff career. Tyson Chandler destroyed on the boards. Peja was Peja (plus 18,000 or so smiley extra Pejas who also happened to be in the building). And on the night he lost the MVP award to Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul was rewarded with a thundering M-V-P chant in the fourth quarter. Because tonight 18,000 people knew better.
You know, there are a lot of people saying, “Who are the Hornets? Who the hell is David West anyway? Nobody.” No playoff experience, no mental toughness, no bench. No this and no that. No fans to care.
And then there are the people saying, “Chris Paul is great, but next year. This team should show some respect to ______. This team isn’t for real yet.”
Why should we expect this team to beat the seasoned playoff warriors of the decade? Why should we think this team deserved to be at the top of the West? Why the Hornets?
OK, you know what?
Answer me this question, tonight: Why not the Hornets? And why not now?
I’ve followed the hornets since I was a small child when they started out in charlotte. I stayed a fan when they kept making bad trade after bad trade, when they traded Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson, I felt I was rewarded when Glen Rice joined and made us an awesome team in the east for a little while. Then after that we started to sink again, we were a franchise team in a rebuilding stage and I stayed true to the hornets, when we were moved to the west I had a crippling fear that we’d become another memphis grizzlies or l.a. clippers, fortunately the owner finally seemed to want to put together a dynasty here and it looks like we have it, or at the very least are a few pieces away from it. When I saw Chandler dominate Tim Duncan on the defensive end, and David West take care of Kurt Thomas, and Peja creating his own shot a few times last night I knew that we were legite.
It’s one thing to beat a struggling mavs team but to take down the world champion spurs, by 19 was incredible. I was once an army brat who didn’t have a lot of friends due to the fact that we relocated every three years, but the one thing that stayed constant in my life is the Hornets, I still have my Muggsy Bogues jersey(which even at my age was probably bigger than the actual one he wore). I’m glad after twenty years of fanitude(it’s a word….in my dictionary at least) I am fortunate enough to see my hornets succede, with the way the celtics are playing and the way we are playing I see no real challenge for us, if we stay at this level it is amazing that we could be holding our first championship of the franchise. Okay sorry couldn’t sleep so figured I’d rant a little…..
The NBA at the Hive:
Where David West happens.
Where Tim Duncan doesnt happen.
Where the arena is so hot, they have to stop play for 20 minutes.
Where total pwnage happens.
GEAUX BEES!
From the latest inside the Hive.
“Peja Head Photo Station (pre-game) – Section 122″
Michael – You must feel awesome tonight then after all those years! That’s what we call a Statement game. Statement with a capital S.
W E S T I C L E S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well said, Michael. I hope you had as good of a time watching from home as we in the Arena had last night! I really believe this team has the heart of a champion. Whether they’ll do it, I don’t know. But I do know they won’t roll over for anyone.
Michael, that’s called a rave, not a rant! And thanks for sticking with the Hornets over the years, we need more fans like you in this world.
As someone who lives in california I’ll feel awesome when the hornets stomp on the lakers, that way I don’t have to hear all these love’em when they win hate’em when they lose fans cheer anymore
Is anyone else tired of teams claiming to do a good job on Paul defensively because he has a bad night. If a guy gets past you and goes in for a layup and it rolls out, or if his jumpshots are getting past you and just going in and out it’s not the defender, it’s called an offnight. Everyone has them and it doesn’t mean defense just a bad night, if your shot is off an inch or so then it can change everything. I personally think he’ll respond to that game with a big night tonight. Probably start the offense get them focused on him and then start dishing to D-West, or he should anyway.