In the Lane: April 30, 2008
HOW DID THE HORNETS ELIMINATE DALLAS?
Was it the nap?
Some thought that Chris Paul missing his midday nap prior to game one would throw him off. But when he scored a playoff debut 35 points and handed out 10 assists that theory went out the window. Just to keep the record straight, Paul took his customary nap prior to game two and to prove that he’s not superstitious he tossed in another 30/10 game…to become the first player EVER to do that in the first two playoff games of his career.
Was it the inexperience?
Most naysayer’s talked a good game when it came over-evaluating the difference in experience between New Orleans and Dallas. The problem was they all thought Chris Paul needed more than 24 minutes of playoff experience to look like the best point guard on the planet. Half of the Mavericks experience belonged to players of little or no significance in the series and the other half had nothing but bad recent playoff experiences.
Was it the bench?
While Dallas was trying to figure out whether Jerry Stackhouse or Jason Terry was their sixth man the Hornets were sticking with their starting five (Byron Scott was thrilled just to HAVE a healthy first five this season) and staying with their low-key-but-productive reserves. New Orleans clearly had the advantage in terms of first names…how could they lose with Bonzi, Jannero, and Hilton? The Mavericks countered with Jason, Brandon, and Eddie. Seriously, when the Mavs discovered what “Pargo Time” really meant they no longer had a bench advantage.
Was it the Cinderella effect?
I knew the underdog Hornets had the Mavs when the clock stopped in game one (unbeknownst to the officiating crew) and five points were scored before the tick tocks started again. As we all know Cinderella had until midnight when her carriage turned back into a pumpkin. This is a case of simple math. Dallas never had a chance because the clock never moved past 11:59 for the Hornets.
Was it David tapping Goliath’s cheek?
When 6-foot-9 David West gently reminded 7-foot Dirk Nowitzki that his HOBBY is boxing as he tapped Dallas’ star on the cheek during game one I knew this series belonged to the Bees. TNT analysts thought Dirk should have knocked away David’s hand. Avery Johnson thought one of his big men should have responded with their own message. Bottom line was one of the strangest responses in recent NBA history: Dallas newspapers called out their own team for being gutless.
Was it “The Kid” making Kidd look his age?
Most definitely.
Was it the good karma brought upon by Tom Benson’s first-ever appearance at The Hive?
It was hard to tell how much fun the New Orleans Saints owner was having when he sat courtside with Hornets principal owner George Shinn during game one. I do know this: the Hornets won both games…Benson raised and held hands with Shinn as they were introduced to the sellout crowd…and he returned for game two.
Was it Bowen’s Land Lap?
Late in game one Hornets reserve Ryan Bowen raced for a loose ball, saved it inbounds, and then landed in owner George Shinn’s lap along the sideline. Not to be confused with lagniappe…this was extra ordinary for a Hornet to land in Shinn’s lap as the #1 Hornet helped save a fan favorite from sustaining an injury by cushioning his fall.
Was it really Wile E. Coyote versus the Road Runner?
Most definitely.
Was there just not enough room for two Winston Salem, N.C. natives and Wake Forest alums to succeed in the same playoff series?
Chris Paul played like it could be his last chance at a title. Josh Howard played like he knew Dallas had no chance at one. CP3 played like his meal money was on the line. JoHo played like he had the munchies.
Were the Hornets delusional?
This questions feeds off of a comment from TNT analyst Kenny Smith who said the only way a team can come back from a 3-1 deficit is to become delusional…just like his former teammate Hakeem Olajawan did for Houston over a decade ago. His point was you must convince yourself that winning Game 5 then puts incredible pressure back on the other team, and tying the series at 3-3 leaves the opponent feeling all of the pressure in a Game 7. In the eyes of the national press the Hornets have been delusional all season long. You could “feel” the disbelief from everyone around the country when the Bees led the western conference at the all-star break…and went into the final week of the season in the driver’s seat for the conference title. It continued when many picked the 7th seeded Mavericks to “upset” the number two seeded Hornets. I guess sometimes being delusional is a good thing.
Was it confidence from having snapped the 21-game losing streak?
The Hornets December 1, 2007 overtime victory against Dallas snapped a 21-game losing skid against their southwest division rival. Every player I talked to this season pointed to that as one of the two most important victories of the season for this team. Psychologically, New Orleans was in a good place. Physically, the team believed it matched up well against any team in the league since it just whipped last season’s winningest team. By the way, the other significant regular season win came at San Antonio in a 24-point blowout over the defending champion Spurs.
Was it the players-only practice?
Admittedly, I had never heard of a players-only practice before this series. When Avery Johnson cancelled the final practice of the season his players decided they needed to meet on their own and conduct a practice without the coaches. The only time that happens is before the start of training camp when the team leaders gather their colleagues to get on the same page prior to the preseason. This appeared to indicate a much larger division between coach and player then most of us believed.
Was it the “most quotable team wins” theory?
The Hornets not only were the most talented team in this series, they were also the most quotable. My favorites:
“…Tyson Chandler is being held as much as his wife at 11:00 at night…” Coach Byron Scott commenting on the dramatic Game 3 foul discrepancy that favored Dallas
“…MVP candidates are made in the regular season…MVP’s are made in the playoffs…” Byron Scott reacting to Chris Paul’s record-setting first two playoff games
“…You only get to do that one time…” Forward David West tapping Dirk Nowitzki on the cheek after the Mavericks forward swung an elbow at West
“…Flight 32 is having an impact…” TNT analyst Doug Collins on Hornets rookie Julian Wright, who wears #32
Was it the best signs in the NBA?
My two favorite signs in the New Orleans Arena were:
“Dirk…No-Win-ski “
“STOP the FLOP”
Ultimately, the team with more weapons won. The team with the MVP won. The team with less playoff experience won. The team with the Coach-of-the-Year won. The team with the chip on its shoulder won.
The Hornets just beat last year’s Southwest Division champs. You know they can’t wait for their chance at last year’s NBA champs.
