n its infinite wisdom, and driven by additional television revenue, the NBA in 2003 expanded the first round of the playoffs from a best-of-five series to best-of-seven.
Not only did that switch create increased interest in the postseason, it made it more difficult for teams to advance to the next round. Now down 2-1 to the two-time defending champion
Los Angeles Lakers, the
New Orleans Hornets, to a man, fully comprehended the magnitude of tonight’s Game 4 in the New Orleans Arena and the urgency to square the proceedings before heading back to Los Angeles’s Staples Center for Tuesday night’s Game 5.
“We’ve got to tie this thing back up, no ifs, ands or buts,” said Hornets forward Carl Landry. “Not too many teams come back and win a series down 3-1. It’s a must-win for us in Game 4. We’ve got an opportunity here at home. Everybody is behind us. It’s pretty much a must-win for us.”
“It’s a critical game,” said guard Jarrett Jack. “We’ve got to come out here with a sense of urgency and knowing that if we get down 3-1 with them going back to L.A., it’s going to be a very difficult task to win the series. Game 4 is definitely a pivotal game for us.”
Having lost their own home-court edge
in Friday night’s 100-86 loss to the Lakers at the Arena, the Hornets on Saturday were searching for a way to recapture the magic of
Game 1’s 109-100 stunner in Staples, that apparently startled Los Angeles and nudged the slumping Lakers from a season-ending lethargy.
Yet, Friday night’s loss also reminded the Hornets that a win tonight would turn this first-round matchup into a best-of–three the rest of the way.
Chris Paul talks about his thumb injury, Game 4 against Los Angeles Lakers New Orleans Hornets All-Star guard Chris Paul talks about how he injured his thumb in the Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the teams points of emphasis in preparing for Game 4 and the type of game he hopes to have Sunday at the New Orleans Arena. Watch video
“It’s definitely a must-win,” said guard Chris Paul, “but we understand it’s only 2-1 right now. They took home court back, but Sunday is a must-win. We need to win that game. And we showed the ability to win in L.A. But you’ve got to take it one game at a time and most of all protect our home court and win that game on Sunday.” First-year Hornets coach Monty Williams repeatedly has said the Hornets have felt this sense of urgency and faced “must-win” situations since the season’s first game on Oct. 29.
But as the calendar stretches now nearly into May, and the Lakers begin to exhibit the worrisome persona they’ve presented in the past two games — scoring a combined 98 points in the lane — New Orleans’ margin for error shrinks precipitously.
Monty Williams talks about New Orleans Hornets' bench production New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams addresses the production he expects out of his bench, Chris Pauls thumb injury and what he finds most frustrating about the losses in games 2 and 3. Watch video
“They had their way with us (Friday night), in certain areas,” said Hornets forward Trevor Ariza, one-time member of a Lakers championship team. “We’ve got to be the team that hits them first. They’re too good, too long, too athletic, have too much skill for us to just lay back and wait for them to be the aggressor. We’ve got to be the aggressor first. “They were doing everything (in Friday’s loss). When they needed it, they did it. Whatever it was. When they needed to, they got stops, they scored, they rebounded. They did it all.
“But,” Ariza cautioned, “we’re not a pushover team.”
Neither, of course, are the Lakers.
Los Angeles’ back-to-back wins in this series, however, have followed similar patterns. The Lakers, after scoring just 34 points inside against the Hornets in New Orleans’ Game 1 victory, have reasserted their dominance inside.
Pau Gasol, a non-factor in the first two games when he scored a combined 16 points, had 17 Friday night. And although center Andrew Bynum was held scoreless in the second half Friday, his 14 first-half points set a tone of physicality in the lane the Hornets could not seem to counteract.
“Points in the paint were key,” said Landry, who picked up two quick first-quarter fouls and was burdened with the prospect of foul trouble the rest of the game. “That was one area they beat us in again. We can’t have that. Whoever wins points in the paint usually wins the game in the end. We’ve got to correct some of the errors we made and leave it all out there in Game 4.
“Basketball is basketball. One thing you can’t teach is heart. I mean, we’re going against the champs. They’re taller than us, have more experience, been together longer, but one thing you can’t teach is heart. We showed that in Game 1. Unfortunately. we weren’t able to do it in Game 2 and 3. But we’re just looking forward to coming into Game 4 focused and try to get a win.”
Williams, who has not bought into any “must-win” discourse all year, wasn’t about to put any added pressure on his team Saturday.
“The guys, I’ve heard some of our players say that, but it’s a seven-game series,” Williams said. “If you want to categorize it, the last 25 games of the regular season have been must wins for us. If you want to say it is, it is.
“I’ve remained the same throughout. I’m more concerned with the first 12 minutes of the game, and we’ll go from there. You put too much pressure on yourself when you look at it another way. This is the playoffs. But Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, for me, they’ve been the same. We’ve prepared. I believe we’re disciplined and we’re more ready now than we were. We just have to trust what we do. The ‘must’ whatever, I try to stay away from that.”
PAUL INJURY UPDATE: Paul went through Saturday’s practice at the New Orleans Arena with his left thumb and wrist taped, an injury he apparently sustained during Friday night’s loss, he said. Neither he nor Williams offered specifics about the nature of the injury.
“I don’t even remember; one of the times I was reaching,” Paul said when asked how the injury occurred. “I have no clue. It’s better. I’ll be all right by (today). We’ve got more to worry about than my thumb.”
Paul was 8-of-10 in the first half of Friday night’s game, but only 1-of-3 in the second half, finishing with 22 points.
Williams said doctors told him the injury was not to any tendons, nor to the wrist or bone.
“It’s the NBA,” Williams said. “A lot of guys are walking around bumped and bruised. These are the things you play with at this time of year.”
Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3814.
