Hornets win with late rally
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Reuters
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 08, 2009 00:00
LOS ANGELES - David West and Chris Paul combined for 72 points to help the New Orleans Hornets sting the Los Angeles Lakers 116-105 on Tuesday, the visitors surging past the Western Conference leaders with a fourth-quarter rally.
West delivered a career-best equaling 40 points and Paul added 32 with 15 assists to end the Lakers' six-game winning streak while handing the home side just their second loss in 20 contests at Staples Center.
"We knew that we were going to have score a lot of points," Hornets coach Byron Scott told reporters. "But the last two games that we played them we stood around and allowed them to guard us. So tonight we had a lot more movement and guys were in attack mode early and we stayed that way for the entire game."
Trailing 99-94 with 8:31 remaining, the Hornets (21-10) found new life, outscoring the Lakers 22-6 to claim their fifth win in six games. West had 15 points in the run and finished with 11 rebounds.
"He was rolling and when he's going like that we are going to feed him," Paul told reporters.
Kobe Bryant scored 39 points for the Lakers (27-6), including 20 in the third quarter, but did not score in the final nine minutes.
"We felt pretty confident that we were able to somehow slow him down (and) make some other guys make plays," West told reporters.
Only Derek Fisher's two three-pointers prevented the Lakers from being completely shut out during the Hornets' winning run. "We were out of flow pretty much all night defensively," Bryant, who made six three-pointers, told reporters. "We weren't able to corral them like we normally have the last few times we've played them. Everybody wants to talk about offense, defense is where you win or lose games."
Celtics slump continues
Meanwhile, DJ Augustin scored 11 of his 20 points in over-time to spark the Charlotte Bobcats past Boston 114-106, handing the NBA champion Celtics their fifth loss in seven games.
The Celtics began the season 27-2, including a club-record 19 wins in a row, but have since struggled and fallen behind the Los Angeles Lakers, the team they beat in last year's NBA Finals, for the top overall NBA record.
"They were able to drive, penetrate and kick back out to the open man," said Celtics star Paul Pierce. "When they did that, it put a lot of pressure on us. It's tough."
Charlotte's Raymond Felton scored 25 points, 16 of them in the last quarter and over-time, to lead the Bobcats while Gerald Wallace added 23 points for the hosts.
"It was a great finish," Augustin said. "We played as a team and everyone played hard. That's what you've got to do against the world champs. They came at us, and we had to keep playing hard." Pierce scored a game-high 28 points for Boston while Ray Allen added 20 points and Kevin Garnett added 14 for the Celtics.
An Augustin 3-pointer in over-time snapped a tie at 101 to give the Bobcats the lead for good. "They try to come in and intimidate you and try to punk you," Augustin said. "But if you don't back down from them, they kind of fold. You have to keep coming at them and play hard."
"We knew that we were going to have score a lot of points," Hornets coach Byron Scott told reporters. "But the last two games that we played them we stood around and allowed them to guard us. So tonight we had a lot more movement and guys were in attack mode early and we stayed that way for the entire game."
Trailing 99-94 with 8:31 remaining, the Hornets (21-10) found new life, outscoring the Lakers 22-6 to claim their fifth win in six games. West had 15 points in the run and finished with 11 rebounds.
"He was rolling and when he's going like that we are going to feed him," Paul told reporters.
Kobe Bryant scored 39 points for the Lakers (27-6), including 20 in the third quarter, but did not score in the final nine minutes.
"We felt pretty confident that we were able to somehow slow him down (and) make some other guys make plays," West told reporters.
Only Derek Fisher's two three-pointers prevented the Lakers from being completely shut out during the Hornets' winning run. "We were out of flow pretty much all night defensively," Bryant, who made six three-pointers, told reporters. "We weren't able to corral them like we normally have the last few times we've played them. Everybody wants to talk about offense, defense is where you win or lose games."
Celtics slump continues
Meanwhile, DJ Augustin scored 11 of his 20 points in over-time to spark the Charlotte Bobcats past Boston 114-106, handing the NBA champion Celtics their fifth loss in seven games.
The Celtics began the season 27-2, including a club-record 19 wins in a row, but have since struggled and fallen behind the Los Angeles Lakers, the team they beat in last year's NBA Finals, for the top overall NBA record.
"They were able to drive, penetrate and kick back out to the open man," said Celtics star Paul Pierce. "When they did that, it put a lot of pressure on us. It's tough."
Charlotte's Raymond Felton scored 25 points, 16 of them in the last quarter and over-time, to lead the Bobcats while Gerald Wallace added 23 points for the hosts.
"It was a great finish," Augustin said. "We played as a team and everyone played hard. That's what you've got to do against the world champs. They came at us, and we had to keep playing hard." Pierce scored a game-high 28 points for Boston while Ray Allen added 20 points and Kevin Garnett added 14 for the Celtics.
An Augustin 3-pointer in over-time snapped a tie at 101 to give the Bobcats the lead for good. "They try to come in and intimidate you and try to punk you," Augustin said. "But if you don't back down from them, they kind of fold. You have to keep coming at them and play hard."