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Scanning the blogs and beats following the Hornets’ series clinchin’ 99-94
win over the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals
…
Hornets 24/7: "There it is. The Hornets just got done putting the finishing touches on the Mavs in Game 5. It was a series some picked the Hornets to win, but never this easily and never this fast. It’s the first time the Hornets have advanced to the second round since 2002, the first time they’ve got past the first round here in New Orleans, and the first time the franchise has ever won a seven-game series. As an avid fan of the teal since about 1995, my world is pretty damn good right about now."
Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News: "As the final dagger cut out their heart, which some said was beating too faintly to find, the Mavericks at long last answered a question that had dogged them since preseason. Months ago, everybody wondered which was the fluke, the 2007 first-round playoff embarrassment or the joyous 2006 trip to the NBA Finals? There is no debate now. One early vacation is a fluke. Two is a trend nobody in the organization wants to accept."
Mike Fisher, Dallas Basketball: "March 2005, upon his hiring as head coach, Avery Johnson — with equal parts humility and power —promised that if he didn’t lead the Mavs to a title in the coming years, he "wouldn’t have to be fired’" because he would resign. That humility is gone. That power should be. That title never came. The dismissal now must."
At The Hive: "Chris Paul just put up 24.6 ppg, 12.0 apg, 5.6 rpg, and 2.0 spg for the series to humble his veteran, experienced, “knows how to play the game” counterpart Jason Kidd. I feel giddy thinking about how much this guy is going to improve in the coming years. What more can he possibly do? 30/15/10? I don’t know."
With Leather: "… the king is dead and all that: the Hornets are now what the Suns used to be. Not exactly, of course, but close enough for a casual fan like me: a fast-moving unselfish team featuring an exciting point guard, high-flying/athletic big men, and a couple shooters to make teams pay for double teams and slow rotations. Chris Paul notched a triple-double in closing the door on the Mavs last night; he’s basically Steve Nash, if Steve Nash rebounded, played defense, closed out games, and was stronger and faster and better in every way."
John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune: "The Hornets put on the kind of show that will put their next opponent on alert. Before the series, a prevalent theme was how the Mavericks have been where the Hornets want to go, how Dallas’ core of players had extensive playoff experience as a unit while New Orleans’ players had never been to the postseason together. Now, everyone should be on notice."
Showboating: "Now that this roller-coaster season has come to an abrupt end, the team, the media and the fans will have a full six months to debate over what the future will (and/or should) bring for the Dallas Mavericks. Will Avery Johnson be fired for his recent playoff failings and possible loss of the players’ confidence in him as their coach? Did Josh Howard’s poor playoff performance put him on the trading block, and if so, how much of a hit did his stock take? Is Dirk Nowitzki still going to be the Mavs’ go-to superstar? You can be sure that all of those questions will be answered over the next couple of months. But for now, MFFL’s should take solace in the fact that this team wasn’t destined for a title this year. They didn’t get beat by an inferior team, unlike last season’s embarrassing loss to the Golden State Warriors. New Orleans had better players, better coaching, a better gameplan, and better execution."
John Reid, The Times-Picayune: "Whether Scott needed bench scoring from Pargo or defensive stops by Chandler, his players delivered. Pargo repeatedly made long-range shots, even with Mavericks draped over him. He ended the series averaging 14.6 points, after scoring a team-high 30 in Game 3."
Jeff Caplan, Star-Telegram: "Josh Howard had to know it was coming. As he stood by the scorer’s table, awaiting the start of the second half, one of the few moments when the arena is relatively quiet, a fan within earshot barraged Howard with all the expected lines such as, "After tonight you can smoke all the weed you want." Howard eventually looked up at the heckler and muttered something under his breath. Howard can only hope the smoke clears by next season."
