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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- After blowing another huge second-half
lead, Charlotte coach Paul Silas ripped into his team, questioning
everything from the Hornets' heart to their leadership and
toughness.
The Hornets blew a 20-point lead and allowed Jason Kidd to score
25 of his 29 points in the second half to rally the Phoenix Suns to
a 103-94 victory over Charlotte on Wednesday night.
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“ |
Cause we're soft as tissue paper! Guys
pick it up and we run and hide. Guys have got to
grow up. Right now, I don't have guys that are
very tough, that's just the way it
is. ” |
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— Charlotte coach Paul Silas trying to explain the Hornets' latest
defeat |
The collapse was the second in three home games for the Hornets,
who blew a 21-point lead in a 103-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets
last Friday.
"They came out and picked it up and we just fell over, just
rolled over and died," Silas said. "We just quit running. Nobody
was at the level of the basketball and that's a thing that you do
from grade school -- get to the level of the basketball. It's
ridiculous, it was an embarrassment"
Asked why he thought the Hornets can't close teams out, Silas
almost lost it.
|  | | Charlotte coach Paul Silas, shown in a file photo, was not a happy camper Wednesday night either.
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"Cause we're soft as tissue paper!" he screamed. "Guys pick
it up and we run and hide. Guys have got to grow up. Right now, I
don't have guys that are very tough, that's just the way it is."
Charlotte guard David Wesley said the Hornets deserved the
criticism.
"I won't dispute any of it," said Wesley, who led Charlotte
with 22 points. "What kind of team at home does this twice?"
Meanwhile, Kidd rubbed it in after the game by bragging about
how tough the Suns are.
"We play with a lot of energy," Kidd said. "That's what this
league is about -- who wants it the most. In the second half, it was
clear we wanted it the most."
The Suns, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped
Tuesday night at Indiana, moved closer to a playoff berth. Phoenix
is in seventh place in the Western Conference but only 2{ games out
of the Pacific Division lead with eight games left to play.
"We had to come out and win this game because we want some
security for the rest of the season," said forward Shawn Marion,
who had 22 points.
For a half, Charlotte took the Suns completely out of the game.
Jake Tsakalidis and Cliff Robinson got into early foul trouble and
were both scoreless in the first half. Kidd was held to only four
points and Charlotte took a 56-39 lead into the break.
But the Hornets collapsed in the second half, especially when
forward Derrick Coleman was on the floor.
In his second game back after missing 20 with a calf injury,
Coleman played when the Suns rallied from 11 points down. Charlotte
led 65-54 with 6:17 to play in the third when Coleman came into the
game and trailed 75-73 at the end of the period.
Kidd scored 12 of his 15 third-quarter points during that span.
"Jason Kidd pushed the ball and we didn't run with him," Silas
said. "You can't just blame it on the guy guarding him, though. No
one ran in the second half."
Coleman had five points and five rebounds in 20 minutes and was
booed heartily throughout the second half. Charlotte dropped to
9-20 in games he plays this season.
Kidd opened the fourth quarter with two quick jumpers. He then
stole P.J. Brown's inbounds pass and tossed to Marion for a slam
dunk. Marion was fouled by Brown on the dunk and made his free
throw, giving Phoenix an 82-73 lead.
Kidd added two more jumpers in a 17-2 run that gave Phoenix a
92-75 lead and sealed the victory.
Game notes
Brown had six rebounds. He has a career high 674 this
season, breaking his previous best of 670 set in 1996-97. ...
Phoenix guard Mario Elie, who had just one point and one rebound
the first time the Suns played the Hornets, had two points and four
rebounds. ... Phoenix backup center Chris Dudley made his first
four shots and scored 15 points. ... Charlotte introduced Anne
Donovan before the game as coach of the Sting, its WNBA team.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
RECAPS
Miami 86
Washington 84
Phoenix 103
Charlotte 94
Toronto 97
Cleveland 94
Philadelphia 90
Detroit 84
Orlando 108
Boston 101
Minnesota 83
Portland 79
Vancouver 86
LA Clippers 78
Milwaukee 108
Golden State 78
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Hornets coach Paul Silas feels his team is too soft. (Courtesy WCNC)
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