New Orleans Hornets stay perfect with a win over Los Angeles Clippers
The New Orleans Hornets successfully protected their unblemished record with a convincing 101-82 win over the skidding Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday 9 November at the New Orleans Arena.
Third-year point guard Jerryd Bayless had his best game in a Hornets uniform as he scored 15 points and dished out nine assists after struggling in their first six games.
“It was just, like, finally,” said Bayless. “I didn't have any doubts. I know what I can do and I've done it before in the NBA. It was just frustrating, but it was a transition and I feel
like these last few games were my training camp.”
The 22-year-old and former Arizona standout, who was acquired by the Hornets from the Portland Trail Blazers in trade four days before opening night, was only averaging 2.2 points per game
in their first six games, and was shooting 29 per cent from the field.
“You could see the frustration in his face at times because he knows how to play and sometimes it's not going as well as he'd like,” said superstar point guard Chris Paul, who finished with
13 points and eight assists. “So I was just happy to see him smiling and playing well, because we're going to need that all season long.”
Willie Green led the his team in scoring with his 19 points, while Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza added 12 points apiece for the Hornets, who had the luxury of giving Paul a much-needed rest
in the final quarter.
“We've talked about how I shouldn't have to put Chris back in the game to save the day all the time,” said rookie coach Monty Williams, who became the fourth coach in NBA history to start
his coaching career with at least seven-straight wins.
With their superstar resting, Bayless and Green took over combining for 26 points in the final period, on 10-for-12 shooting, helping the Hornets pull away after just leading by three points,
63-60, late in the third period.
Al-Farouq Aminu had great night, leading the Clippers in scoring with his 20 points and eight rebounds, while Blake Griffin had 10 points and six rebounds, but their efforts were not enough
as the Hornets’ defence forced 25 turnovers, which was translated to 35 points.
“You can't expect to win at home or on the road when you have that many turnovers,” said Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro. “We've got to do a much better job of valuing the possession
of the ball. We just couldn't put enough pressure on them offensively, and then we were trying to force some turnovers and they blew the game open.”
The Clippers have now dropped their record to 1-7, while the Hornets continued to stay unbeaten in their first seven games of the season, to remain one of the two undefeated teams in the
league, along with defending champions Los Angeles Lakers.
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