Yes, the Hornets win over the Nuggets yesterday was damn impressive. When Desmond Mason and Rasual Butler combine to shoot 35 of the team's 81 field goal attempts, you don't expect a W, but that's exactly what happened.

I'm as confused as you are.

Bullet mode…

• Linkage: box | recap | video | photos
• I'm still not sure where the hell Devin Brown and his incredibly round face came from, but man, am I glad he's a Hornet right now. His 19 points, 10 boards and 7 dimes last night were huge, but his biggest contribution came on the defensive end, where he frustrated Allen Iverson into a 6-of-22 shooting performance. That was key.
• Great job also by Ced Simmons, who came off the bench and delivered 10 points and 9 boards in 26 minutes.
• Actually, great job by all eight guys who got burn for the Hornets last night. The 25 assists tied a season high, as they figured out that Chris Paul isn't the only one responsible for passing the ball.
• As a team, the Hornets also dropped 18-of-23 free throws, which could be a season-high, too, given the miserable percentages we've seen them shoot all year.
• Turns out that snowstorm/blizzard (is there a difference?) did affect the Nuggets, as they only reached their hotel in OKC at 5am yesterday morning. Could that be why the played so bad and got beat? Do I care?
• The Nugg Doctor had his game review up hours ago.

Linton Johnson, Hilton Armstrong and Brandon Bass were all DNP's against the Nuggets. I understand that Byron Scott is trying to win ballgames and playing whoever he thinks can help him do that, but what must those guys be thinking right now? With all the injuries, they'd be forgiven for assuming they'd be getting some significant minutes, but no such luck. The fact that Devin Brown strolled right out of the YMCA and into a starring role has got to sting, too.

And don't think I'm getting carried away by that win last night. That tombstone still sums up my feelings for this season, and one win over a depleted team won't change that.

Reality is bound to set in today when the Hornets meet the Mavs in Dallas. Yes, those are the same Mavs that the Hornets haven't beaten since everyone thought the earth was flat. If we can somehow take a two-game winning streak into 2007, we might still have a shot at the Playoffs, but I wouldn't count on it. The Mavs have been holding opponents to an average of 89 points on their current eight-game winning streak. It could get ugly.

Tip is at 7:30pm tonight. Relevant linkage is below, and happy 28th birthday to Devin Brown. They grow up so fast.

• AP game preview
• Dallas Morning News
• Forth-Worth Star-Telegram
• Dallas Basketball
• Blog Maverick
• Mavs Moneyball