The unofficial label could be “Clipper Envy,” and given that it’s a term that has had little use or relevance before now, the lack of familiarity with it is understandable. But there’s no shame if Hornets fans have it to varying degrees during the playoffs. Today they are relegated to excitedly anticipating the future and potential, as they should. New Orleans isn’t a postseason participant, so hope substitutes for accomplishment and result.

This offseason, there’ll be wads of salary cap cash, and two picks in this year’s NBA draft lottery. Present is a critical foundational block, guard Eric Gordon, who perhaps is ready to sign a long-term deal (though, with his inability to stay healthy, the Hornets have to be careful there).

The franchise has a young, bright, well-respected coach (Monty Williams) who’s considered an up-and-comer in league circles. And it has promising players whose inexperience was crippling this season, but whose vast playing time should accelerate their growth for next season.

Still, there’s no shame in having a twinge of jealousy over the Clippers, as Chris Paul shows he’s just as lethal for them as he was for the Hornets. He’s doing all the things fans grew to love and teammates grew to expect in New Orleans.

Clearly, Paul has been the difference between the Clippers not having advanced to the playoffs or won a series since 2006, and being one win from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. Los Angeles led Memphis 3-1 in their best-of-seven series entering Wednesday’s game.

In a 101-97 win in overtime Monday, Paul scored eight of his team’s 14 points in the extra period, almost matching Memphis’ 10 by himself. He finished with 27 points, seven assists and nine rebounds.

“He’s been absolutely unbelievable for us this year, and when the game is on the line we’re very comfortable with the ball in his hands,” Clippers General Manager Neil Olshey said.

New Orleans remembers that feeling. Obviously, it hopes to feel it again in the near future.

Now, sure, some Hornets fans might offer that time has allowed everyone to get used to Paul’s departure. And they could add that the adjustment has been made to not hearing the high-pitched, signature, Ric Flair “Whoo!” that pierced the air in the New Orleans Arena when he dazzled with a score or an assist.

And the hard-core minority might continue suggesting that his name never be mentioned again in these parts, given his audacity to leave a rebuilding situation rather than show his loyalty by sticking it out, playing two or three years while the franchise restocked, and hoping it could become championship-caliber while he still possessed the ability to split a double-team and throw a lob.

But wistfulness is allowed after watching CP3 lead Los Angeles to a 99-98 road victory over Memphis in Game 1, when the Clippers overcame the largest deficit in playoff history after three quarters (21 points), largely because he begged Coach Vinny Del Negro to not give up and pull him from the game. He had 14 points, 11 assists and a steal to lead the comeback.

And last Saturday he made sure the Clippers rallied from a five-point hole in the fourth quarter with a steal, jumper and lob dunk to Blake Griffin during the rally. He finished with 24 points, 11 assists and four steals in that 87-86 win.

“He’s just tenacious,” Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay said afterward. “He’s not going to take no for an answer.”

“He has done it all year and his whole career,” Del Negro said. “When the game is on the line he’s as good as there is in the game.”

But that’s pretty much what the Clippers expected when they traded for him, after his trade to the Lakers was blocked.

Paul is the only player in league history to average 20 points and 10 assists in the playoffs — 22.1 and 10.8, to be exact, in 27 postseason games. He averaged 19.8 points, 9.1 assists and a league-leading 2.5 steals during the regular season, when the Clippers went 40-26 and won more games during the lockout-shortened schedule than they did without him last season, when they won 32 in the full, 82-game schedule.

He won’t win the regular-season MVP award. LeBron James has that on lock. But he’ll finish in the top three or four in balloting, be first-team All-NBA and a member of Team USA in the Olympics, and he’ll add a few more All-Star appearances to the four he already has made.

Much of that wouldn’t have happened this season, and couldn’t have happened, if he’d stayed in New Orleans.

Some Hornets fans remain raw because he initiated the trade. They ride the belief that he should’ve stayed with the Hornets come hell or high water.

And, absolutely, he could have stayed in New Orleans, tried to win a championship without any major free agents joining him in the Arena, and lifted his team season after season until his skills eroded and management had the upper hand in negotiations.

Then, the team could’ve controlled his departure and destination, and for some, that would’ve been all right because, well, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

But elite NBA players, better than any athletes in any sport, have learned how much power they have, and have shown that they’re not afraid to use it.

Hating on the players is a popular response; hating on the rules of the game probably is more appropriate.

Regardless, Paul is flourishing.

The Clippers hardly seem capable of winning a potential second-round playoff series against the Spurs, let alone of winning the Western Conference and playing in the NBA Finals. They’re a flawed team with holes — lack of quality depth, no inside game other than lob dunks, unreliable foul shooting other than Paul — that have to be patched.

But they’re closer to the top than Paul would’ve been had he stayed, and they’re closer because of him. And that can’t be questioned, not even in New Orleans.

For the Hornets, the obvious positive is the franchise has the future to look to. Fans are banking on that future.

But they can be excused for having a touch of Clipper envy in the present, whether they’re willing to admit it or not.

•••••••

John DeShazier can be reached at jdeshazier@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3410.

New Orleans Hornets

Given the injuries and turnover on the roster, the New Orleans Hornets had a number of players this season that even diehard NBA fans had never heard of. Some of these players filled a brief hole and then went right back to the D-League. However, I was particularly impressed with the late season addition of point guard Jerome Dyson.

Will Jerome Dyson realize his dream and become a permanent NBA fixture with the New Orleans Hornets in 2012-13?

Jerome Dyson

Jerome Dyson shouldn’t be intimidated by the bright lights of the NBA since he played for one of the nation’s best college basketball programs. For four years, Dyson played for the UConn Huskies and averaged double figures each year. Jerome Dyson’s best season was his senior year when he averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 assists per game.

D-League

Despite his fine college career, Jerome Dyson went undrafted. So it was on to the D-League. Dyson became an instant sensation with the Tulsa 66ers. Over two years, he averaged 16.6 points per game. Finally, as the 2011-12 season drew to a close, Jerome Dyson got the call he had been waiting for from the New Orleans Hornets.

Defense

Over the Hornets’ final nine games of the season, the thing that impressed me the most about Jerome Dyson was his defense. I loved watching the looks on the faces of NBA veterans going through the motions in April as this 24-year old NBA rookie was covering them like a glove. I know New Orleans coach Monty Williams had to also be impressed.

Fearless

The other aspect of Jerome Dyson’s game that I loved was that he had no fears about driving the lane and taking big shots. I think playing big time basketball in the Big East has really helped this young man. But the question that remains is whether or not Jerome Dyson has done enough to earn a roster spot in New Orleans next year.

2012-13

Regardless of what happens in the NBA Draft, I believe the Hornets will have a new starting point guard next season. However, I think Greivis Vasquez has done enough at point guard and shooting guard to stay in New Orleans. The Hornets must start holding on to their young talent instead of trading it away like they’ve done in past seasons.

I believe Jerome Dyson will find his way on the New Orleans Hornets’ 2012-13 roster because he is the classic substitute. For 10-15 minutes per game, Dyson can infuse energy into the Hornets’ lineup and keep the offense moving. Jerome Dyson can also be a defensive stopper for the Hornets in the second half.

If he can play a bit more under control, Jerome Dyson should be in the NBA for many years to come.

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals. Follow Patrick Michael on Twitter patmichael84.

Sources

“Jerome Dyson,” sports-reference.com/cbb

“Jerome Dyson,” nba.com/dleague

“Jerome Dyson,” basketball-reference.com

More from this contributor

Tom Benson wants to change Hornets’ name

Top 5 New Orleans Hornets home games of the 2011-12 season

2012 NBA Draft should be incredible for the New Orleans Hornets

Top 5 NBA free agent signings in history

CP3 or C-3PO?

The New Orleans Hornets are going to see how much progress Emeka Okafor makes in his recovery from his knee injury this offseason before making any determination about their plans for the seven-year veteran.

The Hornets could decide to use their one-time amnesty clause to waive Okafor to clear more salary-cap space. Okafor, who missed 39 games this season because of knee injury, is owed $28 million over the next two seasons.

When Hornets Coach Monty Williams was asked to address Okafor’s future beyond this summer, he said that he didn’t want to get into it right now.

“He’s in a situation where we got to see where he is as far as his knee,’’ Williams said.“He’s going to play with our young guys this summer, which is pretty good for us. We’ll find out more about Emeka this summer so we can get him back healthy again.’’

Okafor said he expects to be back with the Hornets next season, but said this season was crazy because of the team’s mounting injuries.

“It was crazy all around, injuries were crazy for everybody in the league,’’ Okafor said. “Right now, I’m going to take a little time off before starting things up.’’

LOS ANGELES — With his knee and lower back problems behind him, Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon finally got a chance to play against the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time since they traded him in December. Although he still says the trade caught him by surprise, he had no other motive Sunday night but to help the Hornets get a win.

Gordon didn’t meet that objective as the Hornets lost 107-98 in front of sellout crowd of 18,315 at the Staples Center. The Hornets couldn’t hold a 13-point fourth quarter lead because of Randy Foye, who scored 24 points. Former Hornets point guard Chris Paul scored 33 points.

However, Gordon still showed he can attack off the dribble and sank jumpers. He got a scare with 3:33 remaining when it appeared he might have turned his right ankle after stepping into Foye on a defensive play. But Gordon remained in the game.

No play better showcased Gordon’s ability than how he maneuvered around forward Blake Griffin on a crossover dribble near the end of the first quarter before bolting to the lane for a dunk.

“I looked to have fun and trying to help us win,” Gordon said. “That’s what it’s all about. Of course, the trade caught me by surprise. But at this point, I’m not worried about it. A lot of people ask me about it, but I don’t get in to that anymore. It’s a new journey, and I like this journey here with the Hornets.”

Even though he missed his first three shots, Gordon — who finished with 17 points — stayed aggressive the entire game. He repeatedly attacked the rim, regardless if Griffin, Kenyon Martin or center DeAndre Jordan was in the lane.

It was Gordon’s first and last opportunity to play against his former teammates this season after missing 51 games with a knee injury that forced him to have arthroscopic surgery in February.

Gordon heard cheers during player introductions, but several times throughout the game he was heckled by some Clippers fans.

The Hornets acquired Gordon in a blockbuster trade that sent Paul to the Clippers. Besides Gordon, the Hornets acquired Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman and Minnesota’s unprotected first-round pick.

But Gordon had a pre-existing knee surgery that he aggravated during the opening game of the season against the Phoenix Suns after bumping knees with Grant Hill. Initially Gordon was diagnosed with having a bone bruise, but after further examinations by doctors, it was determined that Gordon had cartilage damage in his right knee.

Despite playing in nine games with two games remaining in the regular season, Hornets Coach Monty Williams said he has seen enough of Gordon to know that it’s essential to put more talent around him.

The Hornets were unable to sign Gordon to an extension in January, and he will become an restricted free agent this summer. New Orleans can match any offer he receives from another team.

“I had a good look at him (Gordon) when I was in Portland,” Williams said, recalling his days as an assistant with the Trail Blazers. “I always scoutd guys who had to play against Brandon Roy. He was one of the few guys that never backed down from Brandon. He would go right at Brandon, offensively and defensively.”

Gordon did the same thing Sunday night against Foye, Mo Williams and several others.

“All I can do is look forward to trying to win,” Gordon said. “One thing I wanted to create is that I can help this team win games whoever is on the court.

“We’ve been shorthanded throughout these games. I wish we had a full team during the entire stretch; I think we would have won every game no matter who we played. That’s the one thing I wanted to accomplish was winning and create for other players.”

Williams said he initially planned to curtail Gordon’s minutes to continue with his plans to evaluate his younger players by playing them extended minutes. But Williams made an exception for Gordon.

Former Hornets coach Paul Silas agrees with NBA Commissioner David Stern that Tom Benson is the perfect owner, and he’s so convinced of it that he predicts Benson is ultimately going to build the Hornets into a championship-contending team.

“They’ve got a guy there now that’s going to keep that team in New Orleans, and he wants to win,’’ said Silas, now in his second-year as head coach for the Charlotte Bobcats. “If you look at what he has done with the Saints, they struggled for a long time. But he just kept trying to rebuild, rebuild. Finally, they hit the right button. I think he’ll do the same with this team, I really do. What they have now, they can build from.’’

Silas said the Hornets have a franchise player they can build around in shooting guard Eric Gordon, who will become a restricted free agent this summer. With the franchise no longer in a state of flux over ownership uncertainty, and likely to be in favorable position regarding the salary cap, New Orleans might attract more free agents this summer, especially if they land the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft in June.

“I think that’s what happens normally, that (Benson) probably will look at this team right here and the people that’s running it and so forth, and give them a chance and go from there,’’ said Silas, who coached the Hornets for five seasons but was fired after their inaugural season in New Orleans in 2002-03. “The things they’re doing now, looking at different players and that kind of thing … they are looking at the younger players, and I’m sure they want to know who they’re going to keep and who they’re not.’’

Benson, who last week purchased the Hornets from the NBA for $338 million, brings stability to a franchise that has had a persistent image problem since relocating to New Orleans in 2002 from Charlotte, N.C.

A year after the move from Charlotte, former Hornets owner George Shinn and his former partner, Ray Wooldridge, were barely on speaking terms, having vastly different ideas on how the team should be run in the Crescent City. The Hornets also had to re-establish its fan base in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 forced the franchise to temporarily relocate to Oklahoma City for two seasons before returning for the 2007-08 season. Ultimately, Shinn’s significant debt problems led to the NBA purchasing the franchise from him for $318 million in December 2010.

“Our city has gone through a lot, and I think our fans can see that the sun is a bit brighter to have somebody like Mr. Benson and his family step up to the plate and take over the team,’’ Hornets Coach Monty Williams said. “I don’t know any other way to say it, I just think it’s really good for our city.’’

In a brief address to players before watching his first game as the Hornets owner this past Sunday at the New Orleans Arena, Benson told them he’s all about winning.

“It’s an excitement for the fans and the players, even coaches, that we’ve got someone now we can look forward to playing hard for,’’ Gordon said.

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon did not participate in the team’s shootaround workout this morning and his status for tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings remains unclear because of a sore lower back.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said he wasn’t sure if Gordon would play and that he’ll find out later today regarding his status.

Gordon experienced tightness in his lower back during last Saturday’s victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not play Monday night against the Lakers. He missed 51 games this season because of cartilage damage in his right knee before returning April 2 against the Denver Nuggets.

Also, Williams wouldn’t confirm if center Emeka Okafor will miss the remainder of the season with a sore left knee, saying only that it’s something he’s not thinking about. Okafor has not played since a Feb. 10 game against the Portland Trail Blazers. After tonight against the Sacramento Kings, the Hornets have only eight games remaining before the regular season ends. 

“He’s been gone so long and (Chris) Kaman has done such a good job in that spot,” Williams said. “I’ll find out when the trainers tell me.”

The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets are the worst teams in the Western Conference and already are eliminated from playoff contention.

The Kings may find some solace in ending a five-game slide and sweeping the season series from the host Hornets for the first time in eight seasons Wednesday night.

Sacramento (19-39) will miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, and is ahead of only New Orleans (15-42) in the West.

Part of the reason for the separation between the teams is the Kings taking all three meetings, putting them in position to sweep the season series for the first time since winning both matchups in 2003-04.

Sacramento, though, is a conference-worst 5-24 on the road and enters this contest having dropped five straight overall, the team’s longest slide since a season-high six-game skid Feb. 11-21.

The Kings’ woes continued with Tuesday’s 110-100 loss at Dallas.

“We had a few little details of turning the ball over or maybe some quick shots, but that’s what you get with a team that’s trying to learn how to win and close out quarters,” coach Keith Smart said.

DeMarcus Cousins is looking to build on his 25 points, 18 rebounds and six steals from Tuesday. The second-year center wasn’t nearly as effective two days prior, getting nine points and eight boards in a 104-87 loss to Houston.

Cousins has missed two of three games against the Hornets, but made his presence felt Feb. 6, when he had 28 points and 19 rebounds in a 100-92 victory at New Orleans Arena.

Marcus Thornton picked up the scoring slack for Cousins in the most recent matchup March 7. He scored 25 points before John Salmons’ layup with 6.8 seconds left clinched a 99-98 victory.

Thornton had 16 points Tuesday in his return from a thigh bruise that sidelined him four games.

It’s not much of a surprise that the Hornets are missing the playoffs after trading star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the start of the season.

New Orleans, though, had been showing improvement at home, winning three of four before falling 93-91 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Coach Monty Williams felt Eric Gordon’s absence due to lower back tightness was a tough blow.

“We just didn’t have what we have been talking about, the closer down the stretch,” he said.

Gordon, acquired from the Clippers in the Paul trade, has only played five games all season due to a nagging knee injury, and his 19.6 points per game is sorely missed.

Having the shooting guard on the court could provide a lift for the Hornets. He’s averaged 24.3 points on 56.6 percent shooting from the floor – 54.5 from beyond the arc – in his last nine meetings with the Kings.

Gordon’s been sidelined for all three this season.

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon, who required surgery last month to remove cartilage debris from his right knee, will begin practicing with the team next week.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said Gordon has ramped up his workout regiment in a push to return to help the team.

Though the regular season is just more than a month from completion, Gordon said he wants to help bring back some options that hopefully bring more wins.

“I look forward to trying to get back,’’ said Gordon, who will become a restricted free agent this upcoming July.

Williams has been forced to use 15 different lineups, including 13 different players starting at least one game. But injured forward Carl Landry practiced Monday for the first time without restrictions since spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a Feb. 4 game at Detroit.

Landry could be back in the lineup no later than this Saturday against San Antonio if he doesn’t experience a setback, Williams said. There remains no timetable on starting center Emeka Okafor’s return from a sore left knee. Okafor has missed 18 consecutive games. 

QUICK HITS: The Hornets did not re-sign center 7-foot center Jeff Foote, whose 10-day contract expired on Sunday.

There have been times this season when Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez has to pause momentarily and wrap his head around just who is on the floor with him. Most recently, it happened Friday night in Denver when newly signed center Jeff Foote was part of the rotation while Vasquez was running the show, causing Vasquez to change the play he wanted to call because Foote hadn’t yet learned its components.

“I was thinking about that,” Vasquez said, “watching the tape and watching myself … it’s been extremely hard. Sometimes, you can call a play, and we’ve just got a new guy, and being a young guy, you’ve got to figure it out quick. It’s not easy. This whole year has been ups and downs. It’s definitely a learning process. It’s hard. Especially for me.”

The Hornets have used 15 starting lineups this season heading into tonight’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats at the New Orleans Arena, with 10 players having missed time because of injury, and four more — including Foote — who have been on the roster via 10-day contracts.

As a point guard, it is the job of Vasquez and starter Jarrett Jack to run the Hornets’ offense, keeping players in the right spots and directing the action on the floor, optimally, without turning the ball over.

Through Sunday night’s win against Minnesota, Jack had turned the ball over 81 times, Vasquez 80. And, not unexpectedly, many of those mistakes can be attributed to the patch-work lineups the Hornets have been forced to utilize.

Jack, who save for a stretch of a week when he returned from a sore knee and played behind Vasquez with the second unit, has been the beneficiary of a little bit more stability playing most of his minutes with starters or players who were more familiar with the Hornets’ schemes and tendencies.

“Actually, it’s not that big a deal,” Jack said. “You just try to keep the play-calling packages simple where everybody knows how to play. Most of the people I’m pretty familiar with them regardless of whether they played with me or not. You’ve seen them play in passing, or watched games they played in college. You get familiar with most everybody’s game.

“But you try to put them in positions where they’ll be successful. The biggest thing is trying to call a play where (a teammate) will be able to react. If you call a play, you don’t want to make it too complicated if a person has only been here for two days or whatever the case may be. You don’t want to put him a position where that possession gets wasted because you call a play that was too complicated or one he hasn’t gotten down pat yet.”

Hornets Coach Monty Williams sees the conundrum from both perspectives, offensively and defensively. There are defensive sets he’d like to call, but cannot because of newcomers’ unfamiliarity with the system.

“I’m putting guys in position who have never been in our defensive system,” Williams said. “(Friday) night was indicative of that. I was ready to call a play, and I looked out there and saw Jeff Foote and it was like, ‘I can’t call that. I can only call about three plays because that’s all he knows.’

“When you have this many new guys in your system, you’re going to have breakdowns, and that’s something we have to guard against.”

What has made it doubly difficult for Jack and Vasquez, Williams says, is the Hornets’ lack of weapons.

“I think it’s tough on them, because the best point guards in the league are throwing it to guys who can score every night,” Williams said. “Let’s just be honest. The guys who have the most assists are throwing it to the same guys every night. And they know they can count on four or five assists from that guy every night. We don’t have that.

“Playing the point guard position, you have to have balance. You have to be able to know when to shoot, know when to pass, run the team, keep your poise. We haven’t been inconsistent there, but I think there’s times where the warts show in tough situations. It’s been tough for our point guards because they’ve had to carry the load scoring and running the team.”

Vasquez, though, is a glass-half-full type of player. He has taken this opportunity and continues to try to improve.

“The rest of the season,” he said, “I’m going to try to get 10 assists a game. Whether I score 10 points, four points, I don’t care. I just care about getting people better around me. I think that will make me a better point guard when we have an established roster on this team.”

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Ricky Rubio is gone, and he won’t be back this season.

It didn’t take long for the lowly New Orleans Hornets to show the Minnesota
Timberwolves just how much they will miss him.

Chris Kaman scored 20 points and the Hornets snapped a four-game losing
streak with a 95-89 victory over the Timberwolves, who found out earlier
Saturday that Rubio is out for the year with a knee injury.

Jarrett Jack had 17 points and seven assists for the Hornets, who won for
the 10th time all season thanks to 28 assists on 39 buckets.

Kevin Love had 31 points and 16 rebounds after missing the previous game
with back spasms, but the Timberwolves couldn’t shake the disappointment of
losing their flashy sparkplug in time to beat the Hornets.

“It’s contagious, not only with the passing and the flair and everything
but just being around him,” Love said. “He’s great for the team. We’re going
to miss that. That’s not something you can replace as far as personality goes.
But as far as play goes, we can have other guys play big.”

The score was tied at 74 with nine minutes to play when the Hornets went on
an 11-0 run to pick up their fifth road win of the season.

“Look, we’re in no position to look at any win as anything other than a
jewel,” coach Monty Williams said. “To come out and win on the road after a
back-to-back says a lot about our young guys. We needed it, but we need them
all.”

Missing their primary ball-handler and offensive sparkplug, the Wolves
turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 25 Hornets points.

Greivis Vasquez scored 12 points for New Orleans, which had dropped eight of
its last 10 games. He scored five points and assisted on another bucket in the
late surge that gave the Hornets an 85-74 lead with 4:55 to play.

Love scored eight points during a 13-4 surge that cut it the deficit to two
points with 18 seconds to play. But Jack and Marco Belinelli hit some clutch
free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

The Timberwolves just didn’t have the sizzle that has made them one of the
most entertaining watches in the league this season. That energy and buzz was
taken away when Rubio hit the deck late in the game against the Lakers on Friday
night and tore the ACL in his left knee.

“It’s devastating,” Martell Webster said. “But we’ve got to bounce back
from it.”

In their first game without their floor leader and tone setter, everyone
seemed to be searching, for the right combinations on the floor, the right
rotations on defense and the easy shots on offense that Rubio so often set up
for them.

They looked much more like the team that went 32-132 over the previous two
seasons than the one that entered Friday night’s game against the Lakers as the
eighth seed in the West.

“It’s like we reverted back to a long time ago,” coach Rick Adelman said.
“We’re not going to get it done that way.”

Adelman dug deep into his bench, playing Wayne Ellington more than 10
minutes for the just the second time in 15 games and second-round draft pick
Malcolm Lee made his NBA debut after missing most of the first two months
because of knee surgery. Luke Ridnour moved over to the starting point guard and
Webster started at shooting guard. The backcourt combined to go 6 for 18 for the
game.

Kaman had his way with Nikola Pekovic early, hitting an array of soft
jumpers and layups off of some beautiful interior passing. His jumper from the
elbow capped an 8-0 run that gave New Orleans a 61-50 lead midway through the
third quarter.

The Wolves battled back to tie it at 74 three minutes into the final
quarter, but Vasquez hit a teardrop in the lane, fed Gustavo Ayon for an
alley-oop and hit a 3-pointer during the 11-0 run to bury Minnesota.

The Hornets have had injury issues of their own, with key players like Eric
Gordon, Emeka Okafor and Carl Landry missing big chunks of time this season.

“If they had Ricky Rubio, who knows what it would’ve been like,” Hornets
coach Monty Williams said. “But I could say that same thing about us. If we had
Eric Gordon, Jason Smith, Carl Landry and Emeka Okafor, we’d be a different
team, too. So you can do the ifs all day long.”

Pekovic finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds and Ridnour had 14 points
and 10 assists for the Wolves.

NOTES: The Timberwolves announced a crowd of 20,123, the first time in
franchise history the Wolves have had back-to-back home crowds topping 20,000
fans. They have sold out eight times this season, the most since 2003-04. …
Ridnour missed his first free throw attempt of the night, snapping a string of
40 straight.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —– The Hornets couldn’t take advantage of one of their best offensive performances of the season, losing to the Sacramento Kings 99-98 on Wednesday night after guard Isaiah Thomas caught an errant pass from Trevor Ariza and forward John Salmons made a layup with six seconds remaining to clinch the victory.

As time expired, Ariza missed a desperation jumper, leaving the Hornets 0-19 in games they trailed at halftime.

It also was the Hornets’ third consecutive loss and fifth in six games since returning after the All-Star break.

“We threw the ball away,” Hornets Coach Monty Williams said. “When you lose a game like that, you have to go back to the basics. You have to take care of the ball.” 

 Former Hornets guard Marcus Thornton tied the score at 95 with 1:29 remaining, but Ariza made a clutch 3-pointer that put the Hornets ahead by three with 1:12 left.

Thornton’s 12-foot jumper with 43 seconds left cut the lead to one point, setting the stage for the winning steal and basket.

After struggling to get the Hornets into their offensive sets in Monday night’s loss to Portland, point guards Jarrett Jack and Greivis Vasquez made sure to keep their teammates on the attack mode. They got the Hornets quickly in their sets and if they didn’t see an open teammate, they took matters in their own hands and attacked the rim.

Jack finished with 25 points and Vasquez had 10. Ariza finished with 20 points and Kaman had 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

“We played well enough to lose actually,” Jack said.“You know what I mean like all those things you point to we still came up on the short end of things.”     

Going into Wednesday night’s game, the Hornets had trailed by at least 26 points in back-to-back losses to the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers. In Monday night’s 86-74 loss to the Trail Blazers, the Hornets were held to just 46 points in the first three quarters, including a season-low 10 points in the second quarter.

The Hornets (9-30) scored easily and shot better than 50 percent for nearly the entire game Wednesday. Instead of collapsing after halftime as they did against the Trail Blazers, the Hornets turned up the pressure, outscoring the Kings 26-20 to take a 80-78 lead through three quarters.

The Kings came on a four-game losing streak and had lost 10 of their previous 12, surrendering 107.3 points per game during the span.

Though the Hornets trailed the Kings 58-54 at halftime, they scored 40 points in the post and had a 12-2 edge on second-change points.

Despite shooting 52 percent from the field in the first quarter, the Hornets didn’t take their first lead 30-29 until 11:21 remained in the second quarter. The Kings closed the second quarter on a 9-2 run take a four-point into halftime.

The Kings were without starting center DeMarcus Cousins, who sat out because of food poisoning.

AYON OUT: Hornets starting power forward Gustavo Ayon missed Wednesday night’s game against the Kings because of a sore left foot.

With the Hornets down to only nine available players, Solomon Jones started at power forward, but played only five minutes in the first half after getting two quick fouls.

Ayon is the ninth Hornets player to miss at least one game because of injury this season. New Orleans has particularly been ravaged with injuries at power forward — Carl Landry (sprained knee) and Jason Smith (concussion) are sidelined, and both have been out since February 4.

Ayon, 6 feet 10, 250 pounds, had started the past 12 games in place of Smith and was averaging 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds.

•••••••

John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3407.

PORTLAND, Ore. – With small forward Trevor Ariza returning to the lineup after missing two games with flu-like symptoms, Hornets Coach Monty Williams hoped his team wouldn’t have problems scoring.

But Williams’ worst fears came true in Monday night’s 86-74 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in front of a sellout crowd of 20,520 at the Rose Garden.

Instead of showing signs of offensive improvement, the Hornets were held to a season-low 10 points in the third quarter and they never got back in the game. New Orleans made only 4-of-16 shots and trailed by as much as 22 points in the third quarter.

“We held them to 86 points, but we couldn’t score,’’ Williams said. “Their pressure took us out of the box and we were a halfcourt running offense tonight. That’s a credit to their defense. This is two games in a row where teams have pretty much taken us out.’’

Before starting their four-game road trip, New Orleans (9-29) was routed by the Indiana Pacers 102-84 on Saturday night at the New Orleans Arena.

Until the Hornets erupted for a 26-point fourth quarter against Portland, they were in danger of setting the franchise record for fewest points, which is 65. Two minutes into the fourth, the Hornets had only 56 points. But center Solomon Jones’ layup with 5:45 remaining made the score 95-65. The Trail Blazers (19-19)  led by 26 with 8:57 left to play.

“They did a good job of pressuring us and it made it difficult for all night,’’ Jack said. “We had a tough time getting into the offense.’’

Despite their tough defensive play, the Hornets’ inability to score continues to be their most glaring flaw. In the third quarter, center Chris Kaman and shooting guard Marco Belinelli both made shots in the opening minute. Then the Hornets went nearly five minutes before they made their next shot.

Kaman missed four of five shots, Belinelli missed five of seven; Jones missed all two attempts and Ariza missed his only attempt during the third quarter.

New Orleans came into Monday night’s game ranked 29th among the league’s 30 teams, averaging just 88.4 points a game. The Trail Blazers took advantage, outscoring the Hornets 24-10 in the third quarter to take a 70-48 lead, putting away any hopes the Hornets may have had about getting a road victory.

Ariza played his first game since last week against the Toronto Raptors, but he couldn’t get into any type of offensive rhythm after missing four of his first five shots before finishing with four points.

“I didn’t have a rhythm but it was fun being out there competing,’’ Ariza said.
Except for Belinelli, all of the Hornets’ players appeared rattled from the Trail Blazers’ defensive pressure. Shooting guard Xavier Henry and Kaman mishandled passes.

Starting point guard Jarrett Jack forced shots and struggled to get the Hornets into their offensive sets. Several times, the Hornets were forced to attempts shots just before the 24-shot clock expired.

After 38 games, the Hornets have surpassed 100 points only three times. The Trail Blazers came into Monday’s game surrendering 100 points per game in their last three games.

The Hornets made seven of 13 shots in the second quarter, but still trailed 46-38 at halftime. The Hornets had stretches throughout the first half where they turned the ball over and were forced into taking tough shots.

Other than backup point guard Greivis Vasquez, the Hornets didn’t get much help.  Jones, who had scored in double figures in three of the previous four games, had just two points in the first half on one-of-three shooting before finishing with two points. He went one of six from the field.

“We needed a win desperately,’’ Trail Blazers Coach Nate McMillan said. “You drop your first three games coming off the break and you’re not playing well and you’re about to go on a seven-game road trip – really important for us to get this win against New Orleans.’’

After trailing by a 10-point deficit at the end of the first quarter, the Hornets started the second quarter on a 7-0 run behind Vasquez’s five points. The Hornets played strong defense in the second quarter as they held the Trail Blazers to four field goals during a nine-minute stretch that allowed the Hornets to close deficit to 38-35 before they collapsed in the third quarter.

“They just pressured us and we didn’t respond,’’ Jones said. “They hit us and we kind of got down. We fought back, but in a situation like that we have to play better.’’

CBSSports.com wire reports
Feb. 28, 2012

CHICAGO — Derrick Rose broke for the corner, got the pass from Joakim Noah on a play they’d worked on in practice and let fly with a high arching jumper. The ball caught the rim, came back and fell through.

Rose’s shot with 19.4 seconds to play Tuesday night put the Chicago Bulls ahead and was part of a closing 8-0 they needed beat the New Orleans Hornets 99-95.

It was Rose to the rescue for the Bulls in a sluggish first game back from the All-Star break. He had 32 points, six in the finishing run that came after the Hornets had scored 13 straight to take a four-point lead.

“I take crazy shots like that in practice all the time, they just give me confidence to take those shots where they are looking for me,” Rose said. “We work on that in the end of practice. I stepped back and tried to shoot the ball up as high as I could.”

After losing Chris Paul and withstanding injuries to several key players, the Hornets, who are only 8-26, were on the verge of pulling off one of their biggest wins. They’d gone into New York before the break and cooled off Jeremy Lin and the Knicks and now were threatening to beat a team that had beaten them 90-67 three weeks ago in New Orleans.

“We should have won that game,” New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. “You’ve got to close games like that out.”

Noah had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls and Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng added 14 points apiece.

Chris Kaman had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets and Trevor Ariza scored 16 points.

The Hornets stunned the Bulls with the 13-0 run that turned a nine-point deficit into a four-point lead with 1:26 left. But then Rose took over.

“We definitely held it together. Other teams I guess would have folded,” Rose said. “We played toward the end I think the best defense we played throughout the whole game. We rebounded the ball, made great plays on the ball. … We gave ourselves a chance.”

Rose hit two free throws and, after a New Orleans turnover, his miss was tapped in by Noah to tie the score at 95 with 52 seconds left.

After a miss by Gustavo Ayon, the Bulls rebounded, called a timeout with 25.7 seconds to go. And when they came back out, Rose’s jumper from the right baseline side finally settled into the basket.

“Derrick Rose came back and hit a tough shot,” Ariza said. “We’re a team that never gives us. We’re going to play hard all the way through. But late turnovers cost us. The game we could have had for sure.”

Rose relishes taking the game-turning shots.

“I always think about my legacy here, taking those shots,” he said. “I want to be where I want to be at the end of my career.”

After Jarrett Jack couldn’t connect for the Hornets, Rose hit two from the line with 10.6 second left for a 99-95 lead. Rose was fouled again with four seconds left and missed both but by then it was too late for the Hornets.

Kyle Korver hit a 3 after missing his first four attempts and Rose scored on a left-handed layup to give Chicago a 91-82 lead with a little more than 5 minutes to go.

But Marco Belinelli and Jack scored for New Orleans, chopping Chicago’s lead to 91-86 with just under 4 minutes left. Ariza then hit a 3, Ayon had two baskets and Belinelli a driving basket in the unlikely spurt that put the Hornets up 95-91.

Down three at the half, the Bulls came out in the third quarter and built a seven-point lead. Rose, who had 21 of his points in the second half, started it with a driving basket and Deng had seven points, including a 3-pointer. Boozer’s follow made it 66-59 halfway through the period.

New Orleans kept scrapping, especially Kaman, and his follow-up hoop highlighted a 10-2 spurt that put New Orleans back on top by one

Ronnie Brewer then scored twice and Rose had a twisting left-landed layup as the Bulls regained the lead 76-70 after three quarters.

Guard Richard Hamilton returned to the Bulls lineup and appeared in just his 12th game this season. Bothered by a sore thigh he hadn’t played since Jan. 29. He scored the game’s first basket and converted a three-point play but played only eight minutes in the first half. He finished with five points and five assists in 16 minutes and 51 seconds.

Notes

• Injury update: Hornets’ F Carl Landry (left knee sprain) and C Jason Smith (concussion) are still a few days away from returning, Williams said.

Chris Kaman scored 21 points and the New Orleans Hornets held off a late Cleveland rally for an 89-84 win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who made several clutch plays in Cleveland’s back-to-back one-point wins over Sacramento and Detroit, was held to six points, tying his career low that occurred in his first NBA game against Toronto on Dec. 26.

Irving’s jumper with 2:08 to play cut New Orleans’ lead to 76-74, but Kaman’s dunk and Marco Belinelli’s 3-pointer put the Hornets ahead 81-74 with 1:04 to play.

Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with 22 points. Irving, who shot 2 of 13 from the field, recorded a career-high with 11 assists. Cleveland missed a chance to win three straight games for the first time this season.

Belinelli scored 19 points while Jarrett Jack added 16 for New Orleans. Kaman, the subject of trade rumors earlier this month, also grabbed 13 rebounds.

New Orleans, which lost to Indiana in overtime on Tuesday, came out with more energy in the final game before the All-Star break for both teams.

The Hornets led the remainder of the game after taking an 11-9 lead in the first quarter. New Orleans built an 11-point lead late in the period and maintained a comfortable margin until the fourth quarter.

Trailing 71-59 early in the final period, Cleveland scored 11 straight points to pull within one. Ramon Sessions scored five points, Alonzo Gee hit a 3-pointer to key the run, and Ryan Hollins’ free throw cut the lead to 71-70.

New Orleans went scoreless for over four minutes before Jack’s free throw with 6:25 remaining gave the Hornets a three-point lead.

Jack made a jumper and New Orleans hit six free throws in the final minute to secure the win.

Cleveland cut the deficit to one in the second quarter, but couldn’t take the lead and the Hornets led 50-43 at halftime. Kaman scored 15 points in the half.

The Cavaliers were coming off a pair of dramatic wins that were both sparked by Irving. Cleveland’s victory over the Kings on Sunday featured 19 lead changes and was tied 17 times. Irving’s two free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining gave Cleveland a 93-92 win. The Cavaliers rallied from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter against the Pistons on Wednesday for a 101-100 win as Irving scored 17 points in the final period.

Irving will compete in the rookie/sophomore game and Skills Challenge during this weekend’s All-Star festivities in Orlando.

Cleveland coach Byron Scott was assessed a technical foul in the first quarter for protesting that a foul wasn’t called on an offensive possession by the Cavaliers.

Rookie Gustavo Ayon had a career-high 19 rebounds for New Orleans.

New Orleans completed a stretch of three road games in three nights. The Hornets dropped a 101-93 decision to Oklahoma City on Monday and fell 117-108 in overtime to Indiana on Tuesday. New Orleans had a season-high three-game winning streak going into Monday. The Hornets complete a six-game road trip in Chicago on Feb. 2

NOTES: Hornets coach Monty Williams said C Emeka Okafor (left knee) and F Jason Smith (concussion) could return for the first game following the All-Star break on Feb. 28 at Chicago. There is no timetable for the return of G Eric Gordon (right knee surgery) and F Carl Landry (sprained left knee). … Cavaliers C Anderson Varejao (broken right wrist) has been doing daily cardiovascular work. The team said he would miss four to six weeks when he was injured on Feb. 11. … Cleveland G Anthony Parker (back) missed his 12th straight game. He could return for the first game after the All-Star break against Boston on Feb. 28.