The Bulls beat the Hornets

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Published: February 12, 2011

It’s not often that you can have 17 more free throws and 10 less turnovers than an opponent and lose, but tonight the Hornets did that.  The Hornets took a double-digit lead into halftime – but it was a dangerous double-digit lead because the Hornets had been hitting most of their jumpers in the first half.  That rarely continues throughout a game, and it didn’t tonight.

Of course, the biggest problem there wasn’t just that the Hornets started missing their jumpers in the second half – they couldn’t get a rebound all game long.  They were out-rebounded 47-26 in that game.  The starting line-up managed to grab 12 total rebounds all game long.  12.  2 each from David West and Trevor Ariza.  It’s hard to continue to be a great defensive team when you don’t box out and your big men aren’t able to contest shots.  Oh – and the 18th ranked offense in the league shot 52% FG, 46% 3Pt, and 96% FT for that game.   For perspective, if a player is shooting 50%, 40% and 90%, they are considered one of the premier shooters ever.  They shot that way as a team.  Ugh.

In fact, there was one lone bright-spot in the game, and that was the guy we don’t even expect to play half the time: 

Marcus Thornton 

Marcus had the explosive game he has every so often, scoring inside and out, and pretty much keeping the Hornets in it.  

Marcus had a tough opening, missing two shots and getting burned on a defensive rotation.  But he stuck through it and his shot started to fall, and he and Jack ended with combining to outscore the Bulls bench between them.  It’s just fun to see him wreaking havoc.  (That cut off the inbounds play for the layup?  Beautiful)

Here’s some quick observations from early in the game:

  • Monty had Aaron Gray posting Boozer to start the game, and it worked nicely.  Boozer just wasn’t big enough.
  • West had his shot going all game – but the Bulls denied him from receiving the ball better than anyone I’d seen in a while.  They kept shading their guards and forwards his way and made it hard to squeeze the ball into him.  Particularly in the second half.
  • Andersen was terrible in the first half.  For most of the time out there, he just couldn’t handle Boozer, and when a rebound was available, he couldn’t hold position at all.  He also wasn’t hitting his shots – so it made for a very ugly game for him.

I’d like to keep going, but I’m tired of recapping losses.

I swear Joe Gerrity has a voodoo curse on me.  Maybe I should stop being a Hornets blogger.  They’d never lose again.

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