Hornets guarantee winning record in SW Division with win over Rockets

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Published: April 7, 2011

The New Orleans Hornets play in, arguably, the toughest division in the NBA. In all actuality, it isn’t much of an argument. All five teams in the Southwest Division will finish at or above .500, four of the five will make the playoffs, and the Southwest will likely have the #1 overall seed in the upcoming NBA playoffs in the San Antonio Spurs. Before this season began, many “experts” had the Hornets finishing last in the division, and few had them finishing above 10th in the Western Conference. I guess that’s why you have to actually play the games.

With last night’s come-from-behind win against arch-rival Houston, the Hornets booked their 9th division win of the season. Only the Spurs have more division wins (10-6), but the Hornets, currently at 9-5, actually have a chance at the best division record. The Hornets haven’t looked great at times, especially against inferior competition, but against top teams not named Lakers, they fought and clawed their way into some crucial victories. The Hornets will not lose a regular season series to a division rival this year. They split with the Spurs, won the series against the Rockets, and have one game remaining against both the Grizzlies and Mavs (both on the road), but have a 2-1 advantage in both series.

On paper, the Hornets don’t look like a formidable opponent. On paper, they are undersized, don’t shoot particularly well, and are a bit slow. On the court however, they are a gritty, blue-collar bunch that works hard and plays hard. They are an accurate reflection of their city. Their division mates will tell you they are more than capable of winning on any given night. These Hornets coaches and players don’t care about whats on paper. They want to show you what they can do on the hardwood, and if their defense is clicking, watch out. If the NBA were merely played on paper, Mark Cuban would have two championships by now. Fortunately, that’s not the case.

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