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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Charlotte Hornets are inching closer
and closer toward the panic button.
The Hornets continued their fall from the top of the Central Division standings with a 110-97 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, Charlotte's 12th defeat in 16 games.
"We need to work on some things," Hornets coach Paul Silas
said. "I don't want to get into what, but there are some things we
need to discuss."
Since a seven-game winning streak gave Charlotte a 3½-game lead
in the division on Dec. 27, the Hornets have fallen apart.
Before Wednesday's win over New York, their only wins have come
against lowly Chicago (twice) and the Los Angeles Clippers. And
they've fallen four games behind division-leading Milwaukee.
Now, as they head West for a four-game swing against some of the
top teams in the Western Conference, Charlotte is looking for
answers.
"I don't know what kind of changes Coach has in mind, but all
of us should be open to suggestions," forward Jamal Mashburn said.
"Not one of us, me included, can say they are playing well and we
need to figure out why."
Against the Rockets, the Hornets failed to play defense while giving up a season-high 110 points. Charlotte allowed Houston to shoot a season-high 58 percent while putting five players in double figures.
"A lot of teams can score, but not a lot can play defense,"
Charlotte's P.J. Brown said. "We were playing pretty good defense
earlier this season and prided ourselves on it. That's what we have
to get back to."
While its defense was suspect, Charlotte's offense was pretty
good -- the Hornets shot 51 percent despite an 11-point second
quarter.
"You figure you shoot 50 percent, you'll take that any day,"
center Elden Campbell said. "But it doesn't matter if you let them
hit everything they throw up."
That they did, as Houston was shooting as high as 62 percent
late in the third quarter. They rallied from eight down in the
second quarter, using a 28-6 run over the last 9:41 of the period
to take a 56-42 lead into halftime.
"In a span of nine minutes, we gain 20 points," said Houston
coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "That was just about as good as we've
played all year."
Cuttino Mobley led the Rockets with 23 points. Steve Francis had
20 points and 10 assists and gave Houston its largest lead of the
night with 9:42 to play when his free throw made it 93-71.
But the Hornets mounted a strong rally to get back in the game.
Charlotte scored 14 straight points -- six from Derrick Coleman -- to pull within 93-85 with 5:36 to play.
But that's the closest Charlotte would get, as Houston used
sharp shooting and aggressive drives to the basket to hang on for
the victory.
Walt Williams twice pushed Houston's lead back into double
digits by hitting 3-pointers, and Francis went 4-for-4 from the
line down the stretch.
"The guards were just finding me tonight and I was able to
knock down my shots," Williams said.
Maurice Taylor and Williams each scored 18 for the Rockets,
while Kenny Thomas added 10.
David Wesley led the Hornets with 25 points. Mashburn had 20 and
Coleman scored 17 -- 10 in the fourth quarter. Baron Davis had 12
assists.
Houston outscored the Hornets 46-22 in the paint and scored 29
points off 15 Charlotte turnovers.
Game notes
The Hornets are marketing Davis for the NBA's Most Improved
Player Award. The club is distributing lists of the second-year
guard's accomplishments this season. ... Francis, who played at
Maryland, stopped at the scorers table several times during the
game for updates on the eighth-ranked Terrapins' 98-96 overtime
loss to No. 2 Duke. ... Wesley made six of his seven shots in the
first quarter.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
RECAPS
San Antonio 99
Utah 86
Toronto 90
Chicago 80
Minnesota 93
Portland 80
Miami 81
Orlando 59
Houston 110
Charlotte 97
Atlanta 101
Cleveland 90
Washington 89
Phoenix 82
Detroit 108
Milwaukee 103
Denver 102
Dallas 100
Seattle 106
New Jersey 97
Sacramento 101
LA Clippers 89
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Rudy Tomjanovich Official Site
Baron Davis Official Site
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