David West, Hornets
101-79 win vs. Spurs
38 pts, 16-25 FG, 6-7 FT

Jameer Nelson, Magic
91-86 loss at Pistons
14 pts, 6-7 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG

Richard Hamilton, Pistons
91-86 win vs. Magic
31 pts, 16-16 FT

Richard Hamilton didn’t grab a lot of rebounds, dish out a number of assists or shoot a high percentage from the field. But he did rack up 31 points in a crucial Game 5 victory that sent his team to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth consecutive year. On the way, with point No. 11 to be exact, he topped Isiah Thomas’ franchise mark of 2,261 playoff points, breaking the record in one less game.

Michael Finley, Spurs
101-79 loss at Hornets
2 pts, 1-6 FG, 0-3 3-pt FG

Tim Duncan, Spurs
101-79 loss at Hornets
10 pts, 5-18 FG, 0-1 FT

Kurt Thomas, Spurs
101-79 loss at Hornets
2 pts, 1-6 FG

It’s not hard to figure out why the Pistons took Game 5 and the series from the Magic. It came down to the fact that the two teams were polar opposites. Detroit took immaculate care of the ball (committed an NBA-playoff record low three turnovers), while Orlando appeared to be playing its best version of hot-potato every other possession (21 TOs). The Pistons brought their “A” game in the fourth quarter – they scored 26 points in the final frame – while the Magic had one of their worst stretches of the playoffs – their first successful shot from the floor came with 3:42 left in period. Detroit was able to make the big play – Tayshaun Prince came up with a series-clinching block in the closing seconds on Hedo Turkoglu – while Orlando could not. The Pistons and their stars played like champions, while Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Turkoglu got beat off the dribble possession after possession and looked soft down the stretch. Although you have to give credit to Jameer Nelson for trying to motivate his team off the court and performing well on it Tuesday, maybe he should stay out of the prediction business until the Magic prove they can get past the mental mistakes.

The Hornets may not be able to win in San Antonio, but there is no stopping them in New Orleans. Tyson Chandler was forced to leave with a sprained ankle, David West was battling back pain and Peja Stojakovic couldn’t find his shooting rhythm, but that didn’t stop the Hornets from rolling past the Spurs in Game 5 for a huge victory on their homecourt. West had arguably the best game of his career, firing off 38 points and bringing down 14 rebounds, despite being in obvious pain. “Regardless of how I was feeling, I just knew how important this game was for us as a basketball team,” he said. “I knew I had to play well.” As dangerous as West was in the offensive zone, Chandler was equally dominant on the defensive end. Chandler frustrated Tim Duncan all night, giving him trouble in the paint and holding him to a 5-of-18 effort from the field. With the win the Hornets improved to 7-0 in New Orleans. In the second round of the 2008 playoffs the home team now possesses a 17-1 advantage. New Orleans will now travel to San Antonio, where it will try to be the first team since the Mavs in 2006 to eliminate the Spurs on their floor.

On the surface Robert Horry’s Game 5 seemed uneventful. He didn’t take a single shot from the floor and managed only one point in a Spurs’ loss. But by merely stepping on the court in the first quarter, Big Shot Rob became the NBA's all-time leader in playoff games (238), surpassing Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. "His career in the playoffs has been remarkable," Kareem said through his blog.

Mike D’Antoni is officially manning a new ship. At a press conference Tuesday, Knicks president Donnie Walsh named the former Suns skipper the 24th head coach in the franchise’s 62-year history. Although Marbury, Curry and Randolph aren’t exactly Nash, Amare and Shaq, D’Antoni said that won’t stop him from running a fast-paced, quick-shooting style to excite the fans and the players.

Why should Comets’ fans be excited about the upcoming WNBA season? Look no further than rookie Matee Ajavon. After averaging 16.5 points per game in her first two WNBA contests, Ajavon closed out the preseason with a brilliant 26-point performance against the Mystics. Once Tina Thompson’s international commitments are fulfilled, Houston should have the makings of dangerous dynamic duo.