Chris Paul Leads New Orleans Hornets past Milwaukee Bucks in season-opener
Superstar point guard Chris Paul opted to stay in New Orleans because he wanted to give their new coach a fair chance, and he proved today that he’s true to his words.
The 25-year old guard scored 17 points and dished out 16 assists, leading the New Orleans Hornets to a thrilling 95-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Monty Williams’ debut as the new head
coach on Wednesday night.
Paul, who expressed his intention of leaving the Hornets during the off-season, but had a change of heart, was impressed with how Williams handled their team tonight and he even gave their
new coach the game ball after the final buzzer sounded.
"He's not just a head coach," Paul said. "He's more than that because he really wants us to succeed and he puts a lot of time in. So we were happy to get him his first win and his first game
ball."
David West also had a share of the spotlight as he racked up a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds, while sweet-shooting Italian guard Marco Belinelli added 18 points in his debut in a
Hornets uniform.
Trevor Ariza, who was acquired by the Hornets in a multiple-player deal during the off-season, provided an additional firepower with his 11 points, including a rim-rattling dunk in the fourth
period that gave them a 90-84 lead.
"It's a long season, but there are some things that we've done in this game we can be proud of," said West, who sparked the Hornets' run in the third period by scoring their team's first
ten point of the half.
"It always feels good to get your first one, especially here at home, just to get a good taste in your mouth and feel good about some of the things we've been working on," he added.
Carlos Delfino paced the Bucks with his 19 points, highlighted by five 3-pointers, while Andrew Bogut had 15 points and 15 rebounds in his first game after sustaining multiple injuries before
the last season’s play-offs.
Corey Maggette scored 16 points for Milwaukee and Brandon Jennings tallied 15 points and 10 assists, but their impressive games were overshadowed by their lackluster performance in their
season debut.
"We were sluggish tonight and didn't play with a lot of energy," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "The Hornets played with more energy and they deserved to win."
Right after the game, Williams admitted that he was very nervous before his coaching debut, and said that he’ll still be "nervy" in their next assignments.
"I'll calm down in July when we're not playing anymore. It's natural for me. It's the same way I was when I played," Williams said. "So much of it is that you want to do well, you want the
guys to perform well."
Chris Paul’s 16 assists was a new franchise record for assists in the team’s first game of the season, eclipsing Muggsy Bogues’ 14 during the opening week of the 1992-93 NBA season.
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