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Old 04-15-2010, 05:36 AM   #420
Radii
Head Coach
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
NBA Finals Game 7

(3) Charlotte at (1) New Orleans

Series Tied 3-3


CHA:NO
92:93 OVR
87:90 OFF
95:94 DEF

Nothing quite like a game 7 to decide a championship! Goal for the game: Make sure Mayo and Padgett are my top two scorers. I can't lose this series in a game where Sparks or Wallace lead us in scoring. It woudl be nice to get a solid 15 point performance from one of the other starters but we have to make sure Padgett and Mayo are the focus.

First Quarter

9:45 to go - Good start for Charlotte, its 10-2. 7 of our 10 scored by Mayo/Padgett.

6:00 to go - Some inside scoring and a 3 for JR Smith closes the gap quickly. We lead 15-13.

2:05 to go - Mayo nails a jumper with JR Smith in his face as the shot clock expires 27-21. Mayo has 11, Padgett 9. NO takes their second timeout of the quarter.

Charlotte 31
New Orleans 27

We actually led by 8, New Orleans scored the last 4 of the quarter. Mayo 13, Padgett 9, Tyson Chandler actually has 3 very nice buckets inside off the bench and he has 6. Paul 6 points/3 assists, Saramago 6 points, JR Smith 5 points for the Hornets. Josh Smith picked up two early fouls and had to sit, he's been playing very well lately. The Hornets backup bigs are good but that still hurts them.


Second Quarter

8:00 to go - New Orleans leads for the first time, 34-33 after a Saramago 3. Mayo and Padgett were both on the bench for the first 3 minutes of the quarter, Wallace got a number of open looks and is ice cold(0-4 I think).

5:50 to go - We assert ourselves and go back ahead, its 40-36 Bobcats. Mayo has picked up two fouls in the last couple minutes, so that's something to watch.

3:50 to go - A 9-0 New Orleans run puts them ahead by 5, 45-40. Saramago is out of his mind, hitting everything.

1:25 to go - A very quick 7-0 run for us gives us the lead back, 49-48. Padgett scored 5 of the 7, Swanson the other two.

Charlotte 51
New Orleans 51

We've avoided the early blowout that plagued us the last two games. Padgett 18, Mayo 17, so that's going exactly the way we needed it to. Chandler is still our 3rd scorer with 6. Swanson picked up 4 assists, 3 to Padgett, in the final 3 minutes of the half off the bench. Padgett has 3 blocks, all 3 blocks of Chris Paul when he tries to drive. Saramago is HUGE for the Hornets, he has 18 at the half. Paul 9, JR Smith 4.


Third Quarter

9:15 to go - New Orleans hasn't missed yet, including two treys. JR Smith has 7 in the quarter already and its 63-57 New Orleans. Mayo has 4 for us and now has 21. We burn a timeout and only have 3 left for the game.

6:00 to go - New Orleans cools off, its 65-62 Hornets now. JR Smith has 9 this quarter and 18 total. Mayo 23, Padgett 20.

2:30 to go - Now we go ice cold, just 8 points in the last 7 minutes now, and its 74-65 New Orleans.


New Orleans 78
Charlotte 69

I didn't want to be down 9 going into the final quarter, but we were just cold as could be for the final 9 minutes of the 3rd and still are within 10. Mayo 25, Padgett 20 and 8 boards, Chandler and Sparks 7 each. Saramago 20, JR Smith 18, Paul 14 and 6 assists to lead New Orleans.


Fourth Quarter

We open with Swanson/Mayo/Henderson/Padgett/Sparks

9:00 to go - 83-74, still a 9 point game. We've played good defense but come up short on offense, we had two fast break chances to cut the lead to 4 and came away with a bricked runner in traffic and a turnover.

8:15 to go - 83-78, 4 straight points for Padgett. We got lucky, Saramago missed a wide open 3 on their end, that doesn't happen often.

7:45 to go - We get the ball back, after a foul all 5 starters come back in. I assume I'm going to need to rest Mayo and Padgett at some point but now when we're down 5 with a little momentum.

6:30 to go - GERALD WALLACE!!!!! Wallace gets fouled, only makes 1 out of 2. Good stop on defense forcing Paul into a very tough shot, Wallace gets a breakaway dunk. Another good stop forcing a missed jumper, Felton finds Wallace wide open for 3, I think its a bad idea b/c he's so cold but I just cannot not take it... and this one is GOOD. Wallace is now 3-7 on the game, 1-4 from 3, and he has all 6 points of a 6-0 run that gives us the lead! 84-83 Charlotte.

6:30 to go - Timeout New Orleans. Fisher comes in for an exhausted Padgett.

6:05 to go - Sparks deflects an alley-oop attempt and Felton gets a layup the other way. JR Smith finally ends our run with a trey. 86-86.

3:55 to go - Still tied up, 90-90. Padgett is back in, all 5 starters in. If New Orleans will take a timeout or two we may keep our starters in for the duration.

2:40 to go - Mayo is listed as cold for the first time all game. New Orleans leads 92-90 and we're lucky its not worse. Our last 3 trips have been Mayo turning it over, Felton missing a runner in the lane, and Mayo having a drive to the basket stuffed by JR Smith.

2:10 to go - Padgett misses a shot inside, Paul with a jumper ont he other end. 94-90 New Orleans. Timeout Charlotte.

1:45 to go - Mayo misses another jumper as the shot clock runs down. Hornets ball, they get a timeout. Mayo has 2 points this quarter only.

1:15 to go - Mayo with good D on JR Smith, forcing a missed jumper. Outlet to Wallace who hits a little 6 footer. 94-92 Hornets.

0:58 to go - JR Smith with a tough shot from 13 feet out. 96-92 Hornets.

0:45 to go - Padgett tries to feed Mayo going to the rim but its tipped and turned over. Ugh.

0:15 to go - JR Smith takes a tough 3 as the clock expires, misses, but Josh Smith grabs the offensive board. That likely does it.

0:09.8 to go - Mayo with a 3. 98-95, not quite over but I needed you making something a little before now buddy.

JR Smith makes his next two free throws, Mayo misses a 3, and that's it.


New Orleans 100
Charlotte 95



Mayo: 30 points
Padgett: 24 points/9 boards/3 blocks
Wallace: 11 points/5 boards
Sparks: 10 points/11 boards
Felton: 9 poitns/5 assists
Chandler: 7 points
Swanson: 4 points/5 assists


New Orleans just got more from their top 3 than we did from our top 2. JR Smith 29, Saramago 22, Paul 20. After scoring 35 combined first half points Mayo and Padgett only scored 19 in the second half. Wallace, Sparks, Felton all did decently in supporting roles getting double figures, but our stars came up just a bit short in the second half and especially in the 4th quarter.


A very disappointing result after streaking out to a 3-1 lead.

New Orleans wins NBA Title, 4 games to 3
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