New Orleans Pelicans Blog – Page 87 – NBA Blog

Nov 8: Hornets 100, Heat 89

The AP reports: Chris Paul finished with 21 points and 13 assists for his sixth straight double-double of at least 20 points and 10 assists to open the season, surpassing the mark set by Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in 1968… Paul also had seven rebounds and four steals to help the Hornets (4-2) snap a two-game losing streak. Nevertheless, Paul wouldn’t take complete credit for the record… Tyson Chandler added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and David West had 21 points for New Orleans. Dywane Wade led the Heat with 30 points, and Udonis Haslem added 12.

InsideHoops.com Notes: Dwyane Wade (9-of-20) had 30 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat. Michael Beasley (4-of-13), Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem all scored in low double-digits. Chris Quinn shot well off the bench for 14 points.

Nov 7: Bobcats 92, Hornets 89

The AP reports: D.J. Augustin, the ninth pick in the draft and for now Felton’s backup, spearheaded Charlotte’s comeback Friday night, keying a fourth-quarter rally as the Bobcats spoiled Paul’s homecoming in a 92-89 victory over the New Orleans Hornets… Felton and Jason Richardson scored 20 points apiece for the Bobcats, who made 29 of 31 free throws and got a big contribution from the bench. Morrison was 3-of-5 on 3-pointers and scored nine points, getting feeds from Augustin… Chris Paul, who grew up 90 minutes away and bought 500 tickets for friends and family, recovered from a scoreless first half to have 20 points, 10 assists and six steals.

Nov 5: Hawks 87, Hornets 79

The AP reports: Joe Johnson scored 24 points and the Hawks made 12 3-pointers to stay perfect on the young season with an impressive 87-79 road win over a team that hadn’t lost even since preseason began… Atlanta is now 3-0 for the first time in 11 years, thanks in part to reserve Flip Murray, a key free agent acquisition who came up with big shots when Johnson was double teamed… Chris Paul had 22 points and 11 assists for New Orleans (3-1), while David West added 15 points and James Posey 10… “That just shows the maturity of the program,” said Atlanta’s Josh Smith, who had 11 points and 11 rebounds… Hornets center Tyson Chandler and forward Peja Stojakovic returned to the starting lineup after both missed New Orleans’ previous game last Saturday with sprained right ankles.

Nov 1: Hornets 104, Cavs 92

The AP reports: Chris Paul had 24 points and 15 assists, and New Orleans remained perfect on the young season with a 104-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. David West added 25 points for New Orleans (3-0) and Posey scored 15 to go with his trademark clutch late-game defense and perimeter shooting… Zydrunas Ilgauskas led Cleveland with 18 points, while James finished with 15 points and 13 assists. Daniel Gibson scored 14 points for the Cavs. Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West each added 12. However, the Cavs turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 26 Hornets points.

Oct 30: Hornets 108, Suns 95

The AP reports: Chris Paul had 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and New Orleans held off a rally, then pulled away to beat Phoenix 108-95 Thursday night and spoil the home debut of new Suns coach Terry Porter… Peja Stojakovic added 20 points before leaving the game with a sprained right ankle in the first few seconds of the fourth quarter. New Orleans already was without starting center Tyson Chandler, who sprained his right ankle against the Warriors. Morris Peterson added 21 and David West 18 for New Orleans. James Posey scored 13, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter… Steve Nash had 24 points and nine assists, and Amare Stoudemire added 21 points and 12 rebounds for Phoenix. The Suns committed 24 turnovers, resulting in 21 New Orleans points, after only 10 in their victory at San Antonio the previous night. Nash had seven turnovers.

Oct 29: Hornets 108, Warriors 103

The AP reports: Chris Paul drove for the go-ahead layup with 19.4 seconds left and finished with 21 points and 11 assists in the Hornets’ perilous 108-103 victory Wednesday night… After going 7-0 in the NBA’s first unbeaten preseason in six years, New Orleans stayed perfect despite falling apart down the stretch against Golden State. After Paul’s jumper gave the Hornets a six-point lead with 5:47 left, they went nearly four minutes without scoring—including two open jumpers missed by Paul—while the Warriors took a 101-100 lead on a jumper by Corey Maggette, who had 27 points in his Golden State debut… David West led New Orleans with 24 points, while Peja Stojakovic added 16. Stephen Jackson scored 26 points and Kelenna Azubuike added 17 for the Warriors, who blew numerous opportunities to take charge late in their third straight season-opening loss, but still came out encouraged simply by hanging with the Hornets.

NBA opening night rosters

The NBA’s opening day rosters are official, and now posted on InsideHoops.com.

This evening was the deadline for NBA teams to trim their rosters down to 15 players or less.

The 2008-09 regular season starts Tuesday, October 28. InsideHoops is your online basketball home. We’re pumping out more content this season than ever.

Enjoy the season!

Hornets backup big-man questions

The New Orleans Times-Picayune (John Reid) reports: The Hornets’ biggest questions remain at the backup power forward and center positions. Whether the team improves from last season will depend how Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely, Sean Marks and Ryan Bowen perform off the bench. Armstrong played adequately in the preseason, but he still looked tentative at times. Ely had a good camp and was a productive scorer, but he still must improve as a defender. It did not help Marks to miss all seven preseason games after suffering a strained calf muscle. However, the Hornets’ strongest positions are at shooting guard and small forward. Posey can play both of those positions, and Rasual Butler had a solid preseason at shooting guard. Butler has regained confidence after making 52 percent of his shots during the preseason. Last season, he shot 35 percent.

Oct 23: Hornets 100, Heat 80

The AP reports: David West scored 22 points, Peja Stojakovic added 14 and the New Orleans Hornets were 9-of-16 from 3-point range in their 100-80 exhibition victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday at the University of South Alabama… New Orleans point guard Chris Paul had 13 assists and six points, Morris Peterson and Devin Brown each scored 12 points, and Rasual Butler added 11. Rookie Michael Beasley led the Heat with 14 points, Shawn Marion added 12, and Dwyane Wade had 11.

Oct 21: Hornets 101, Pacers 96

The AP reports: Chris Paul’s midseason-like form kept the New Orleans Hornets undefeated in the preseason. Paul had 23 points, 15 assists, five rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes, leading the New Orleans Hornets to a 101-96 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night… David West added 26 points, hitting 12 of 17 shots in the Hornets’ return home from their two-game trip to Berlin and Barcelona last week… Danny Granger, a New Orleans native, led Indiana (3-4) with 20 points in 37 minutes. T.J. ford added 14 points, while Troy Murphy had 12 points and 10 rebounds.