MAY SITS AGAINST SONICS
Despite reports he was expected to play in Seattle, Bobcats rookie Sean May sat out tonight's game against the Sonics with right knee soreness but is expected to play Friday in Golden State. May acknowledged before Tuesday's contest that he could have played in Sacramento, but wanted to rest the knee rather than play in back-to-back games after experiencing pain related to the arthroscopic surgery he had over the summer to repair cartilage in his knee. On Wednesday, Bobcats Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said he wanted May to have a day of practice on Thursday in San Francisco before putting him out in a game situation.

May is averaging 9.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.8 minutes off the bench for Charlotte this season, having played in 13 games.

TURN IT INTO POINTS
Charlotte scored 21 points off 18 turnovers last night at Sacramento. On the season, the Bobcats have generated 333 points off turnovers. In comparison, the Bobcats’ opponents have scored 215 points off of turnovers this season, giving the Bobcats an average margin of 22.2 points off turnovers to 14.3 points off turnovers by thier opponents.

"I'm day to day," said May in the locker room after the game. "The doctor said sometimes where I had my surgery where they took the cartilage out there are some nerve endings. Some patients feel it and some don't. My (knee) is just real inflamed right now and real sore because we have been playing so many games."

May hopes a couple days off will help calm the inflammation.

"I'm just going to get treatments, take some anti-inflammatories, calm it down a little bit and I should be able to go here soon," said May, who is averaging 9.2 points and 5.3 rebounds off the bench this season. "It's day to day, but hopefully after working with (trainer) Joe (Sharpe) the next couple of days and having tonight and tomorrow off to rest it, it will help."

GETTING OFF TO A QUICK START
General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff was concerned prior to last night's game about the team's slow starts throughout the season.

"It's the deficit in the early part of the game," said Bickerstaff. "Those first five or six minutes, the mistakes you make, the things that don't happen. They are kind of magnified when you talk about going down the stretch in a close basketball game. We've just got to do a little better job of getting out of the gate."

The Bobcats didn't have any problems getting off to a good start Saturday as Gerald Wallace set the tone on the game's first play with a steal and breakaway dunk. Kareem Rush had nine first-quarter points, Wallace added seven and Emeka Okafor had four points and five rebounds as Charlotte jumped out to a 28-20 lead.

"“I thought we got out of the gate tonight," said Bickerstaff after the game. "Normally when we get out of the gate, we play pretty consistently. Emeka (Okafor) had his 10 rebounds at halftime, so he was very active. Gerald (Wallace) obviously was active.”

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Bobcats are quickly making their new home a tough place for opponents to visit. Charlotte has put together three straight impressive wins on its home court by an average of 21 points and the players say fan support is playing a big part in their success.

"We've got great fans," said guard Kareem Rush. "It's a great atmosphere here and the fans have really taken to us. The last few games we have played really well, beating teams by 20-points plus. We have added confidence being at home. That's typical of NBA teams, but being in a new arena, it's coming really quick for us."

Veteran guard Brevin Knight agrees that the fans have made a difference.

"The fans have been great to us," said Knight. "We have been having great turnouts night in and night out. They have been behind us 100 percent and we want to put on a good show for them. Whenever we feel like we get a little bit down, we know we have them to pick us up. We just want to keep rolling and make it tough for people to come in here and win."

"It makes me feel good as a player to know that not only the coaching staff, but your teammates have confidence in you to shoot the ball," Rush said after Wednesday's shootaround. "I've been shooting it pretty well the last couple of games, so hopefully I can get out there and get some more attempts.

"Hopefully I can be a guy that will continue to go out there, be productive and be a guy that players look to when we need a bucket, but I don't see myself as a guy who sticks out as being a main scorer."

Rush struggled with his shot early on, averaging 8.1 points on .339 shooting (21-62) in his first seven games. Still, he insists there is no big secret behind his recent hot streak.

"Nothing's changed," he said. "I just have to stay aggressive and not think too much about it when I'm not making shots. I'm a shooter. It's not like I'll wake up tomorrow and not be able to shoot. I've been shooting all my life - it's just a matter of me staying confident and aggressive."

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
With 11 games in the first 18 days of the NBA season, the Bobcats didn't have much time to get a good practice in between flights, shootarounds and games. Sunday through Tuesday was the Bobcats first three-day stretch without a game this season, and they took full advantage of it, getting in full practices Monday and Tuesday.

"We've had some good practice time these last couple days," Bickerstaff said. "In the NBA, you play so many games that there's a lot of slippage in terms of execution when you're playing four or five games a week. That's definitely what has happened to us.

"We banged against each other in practice this week and are ready for a live opponent. We've had the opportunity to get right."

WOUNDS HAVE BEEN LICKED
The extra time off between games has also given the Bobcats a chance to get some key players back from injuries, including Gerald Wallace (right wrist) and Melvin Ely (left shin).

"Gerald has to check with the doctors to see if he's a go," Bickerstaff said. "So far in practice, it's been good. There's no swelling, so hopefully both he and Melvin (Ely) can to give us the full compliment of players. Then we have to make a decision on the inactive list. It's a pleasant problem, but it's always tough when you're dealing with human beings."

Wallace says you'll see him on the court tonight no matter what.

"It's a little sore, but I'm playing - no doubt about that," he said. "I'm just ready to play."

Wallace suffered the injury playing the only way he knows how - all out with somewhat reckless abandon, so can Bobcats fans expect him to pull the reigns in a bit tighter tonight?

"I don't know," Wallace laughed. "You're going to have to watch and see tonight."

Ely also expects to play tonight and hopes to give Charlotte another added boost.

"I've been down a week and missed a couple of games, but I'm feeling good about things. I'm definitely a go for tonight," he said. "Being out a week, it's horrible seeing your teammates go out there and fight without you, so I'm excited to get back into the swing of things."

But the three days off between games didn't just give injured Bobcats time to heal, it also gave the rest of the players time to rest.

"We played a lot of games early on, so a lot of guys needed some rest, including me," Rush said. "It feels good to be home. We've played well at home so far. Hopefully we can go out here and get a victory tonight. Our daredevil - Gerald Wallace - is back, so look for him to get some early steals and get us going. We love feeding off his energy."

"The only thing we really have to say this morning is that everybody is ready to go," Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "That was the good news, and it was a good practice. It was one we needed."

No one appeared to be more excited than Wallace to be back on the court after nearly two weeks of watching on the sidelines since injuring himself against San Antonio on November 9.

"Gerald was all-out today," Bickerstaff said. "The guy really makes a big difference in what we can do in practice and the whole situation. Again, what it does is helps to keep everybody else in character because it's the only thing he does. If you take a piece away from a lot of things you do in life, then it doesn't work well."

ROTATION WILL WORK ITSELF OUT
With a full contingent of Bobcats players to choose from, it will be interesting to see how Bickerstaff manages the roster from here on out. It's a problem he doesn't mind having.

"Basically, what I told the players right now is that it may seem like our rotation of players is in disarray, but what we're doing now it basically doing it by feel," Bickerstaff said. "The rotation will evolve according to their performance. We'll eventually get there, but right now you're doing things if you need a shooter or you need the defense - again, you're looking for somebody to step forward so we can solidify it."

KAREEM CAN KEEP SHOOTING
In the last three games, shooting guard Kareem Rush has averaged 22.7 points on 24-39 shooting (.615), including a sizzling 10-16 (.625) from three-point range. He has raised his scoring average from 11.4 points to 13.9 over the course of those three games, prompting Bickerstaff to expect more from the team's hottest shooter.

"I want Kareem to take more shots," Bickerstaff said. "When you look at Iverson and all those other guys that are scorers, they take shots. They may not shoot a high percentage, but they're going to get the numbers because they take shots - 12 or 13 shots is not enough for him."

“I told the guys that we better be ready,” Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said today after practice. “We’re going up and playing against a great basketball team that is playing with that pride and has reason to. We’re going into a very difficult situation, but that’s the way it goes. We’ll go in and we’ll play. We have to be able to survive what they really want to do to us. That’s the one thing about the NBA – you can enjoy the moment, but you have to move on immediately.”

Despite posting an 0-2 record at Conseco Fieldhouse last season, Charlotte played both games there close, suffering a 82-77 loss there on November 26, 2004 and a 94-87 loss there on February 9, 2005.

KNIGHT’S INJURY STATUS STILL UNDECIDED
After missing Wednesday night’s game with left knee tendonitis, point guard Brevin Knight was back on the court for the Bobcats today, but his status for Friday’s game is still uncertain.

“Brevin was here this morning and worked out,” Bickerstaff said.” What I’ve asked (Bobcats Head Athletic Trainer) Joe (Sharpe) to do is – I want the 12 guys that can go full-bore. I mean guys who can really go – go all out. I think we’re in a situation where the guys we have (deeper down the bench) aren’t a big drop off. I’d rather have a guy at 100 percent if we can, as opposed to a guy at 75 or 80 percent.”

If Knight can’t go, expect to see the same starting lineup as Wednesday night for the Bobcats with Raymond Felton, Kareem Rush, Keith Bogans, Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec.

“It depends on how Brevin is,” Bickerstaff said. “If Brevin is ready to go, then he will (start). Other than that, I’ll leave it intact.”

WALLACE OUT AT LEAST ANOTHER WEEK
The good news is that forward Gerald Wallace is doing great on his road back to recovery after sustaining a small bone-chip fracture in his right wrist on November 9 against San Antonio. The Bad news is he won’t be ready to go for at least another week.

“Gerald can do non-contact stuff now and he’ll be checked out again in a week,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s some healing (that still needs to occur), but he’s making progress. He’ll be out at least another week, but you know him, he’s chomping at the bit.”

Reserve forward Melvin Ely is also doubtful for Friday’s contest with left shin pain.

“I don’t think Melvin is a go,” Bickerstaff said. “He was out there (practicing) today, but he’s still sore.”

Unfortunately, Knight was placed on the inactive list an hour before the game with left knee tendonitis, joining Gerald Wallace (right wrist) and Melvin Ely (left shin) on the sidelines.

Rookie point guard Raymond Felton will make his first NBA start in Knight’s absence, with fellow rookie Kevin Burleson serving as Felton’s primary backup.

Center Jake Voskuhl, who was not expected to play after twisting his left ankle in Orlando, has told Bickerstaff he’s ready to go.

GOING BACK TO BASICS
Bickerstaff is well aware of the Bobcats shooting woes and slow starts as of late, but he believes he has the solution for what ails his team – defense, defense, defense.

“We just came out from watching film, and we showed the difference from the first three games to the subsequent games in terms of how aggressive we were on the defensive end, which ended up getting us easy baskets,” he said. “I think right now we’re probably just feeling sorry for ourselves because the ball’s not going in – the way you create easy baskets is by going out and getting things done defensively.”

THEIR REPUTATION PRECEDES THEM
Last season the Bobcats developed the reputation of a hard-nosed team that was going to give you its best night-in and night-out.

“Life is about living up to expectations,” Bickerstaff said. “Once you set standards for yourself, that’s where the difficulty comes is living up to it because people are coming after you every night. We have not played well, but we’ve still had chances, because from my standpoint, these guys will not surrender.”

Charlotte was able to surprise some teams last season with their physical style of play, but this year it seems that teams have a better idea of what to expect – something the Bobcats have to learn to work through.

“This is still the second year of existence,” Bickerstaff said. “We’re positive about it that we’re moving in the right direction, but because of the standards that you set in terms of your effort and commitment, the respect that was there means that you really have to get after it.

“By no means am I in any panic mode because I understand what we have and what’s missing. But you cannot accept excuses, and I think you’ve got to care. I think to a man, each guy in that locker room really cares, and they’re struggling like hell with themselves now. You hate dealing in negatives, but as a coaching staff, we’re obligated to express the truth. But you don’t stay there – you move on.”

CONGRATS TO THE JONES FAMILY
Bobcats forward Jumaine Jones and his wife Donna had their second child late on Friday night. Their daughter was born in Los Angeles at approximately 8:25 pm and weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Jones is now back with the team and will play on Tuesday at Orlando.

JONES A NO-GO AGAINST DALLAS
The Bobcats will be missing their top two small forwards against the Mavericks tonight. Gerald Wallace is out with a small bone-chip fracture of his right wrist, and Jumaine Jones was on a plane to Los Angeles at 5:30 p.m. for the birth of his second child.

Jones’ wife, Donna, was due in December, but went into labor early. General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said he got a call around 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. telling him Jones would be on a plane soon.

“We are going to be without Jumaine tonight, because his (wife) went into labor,” Bickerstaff said in his pregame press conference. “That’s the right thing to do to keep the peace.”

A CHANCE FOR OTHERS
Now without Wallace and Jones, Bickerstaff doesn’t view it as a setback as much as he does an opportunity for others.

“Others can step up and prove that the coaching staff has been idiots and that they should have been in the lineup,” he said. “We’ve got Bernard (Robinson) and Sean (May) there, so our philosophy is that we continue to move forward and look at it as an opportunity to step up.

“It’s a great shot for Bernard and Sean. We wanted to experiment with (May) at the three on occasion, and Bernard’s been working diligently after every practice, so his head’s in the right place.”

Wallace, Jones and Alan Anderson are inactive for tonight’s game. Kareem Rush and Raymond Felton are both active after being listed as questionable, and Jake Voskuhl is active for the first time this season.

OUT OF THE GATES The Bobcats have had difficulty starting games at Charlotte Bobcats Arena in all three of their home games this season. In the first quarter of games, Charlotte has been outscored by its opponents by an average of 7.3 points. The Bobcats were outscored 32-25 by the Celtics on Saturday, 19-12 by the Jazz on Monday and 27-19 by the Spurs on Wednesday in the first 12 minutes of play.

“I have concern about the starting unit getting us out of the gate, and that has not happened here at home,” Bickerstaff said. “We talk about those who start, those who sustain and those who have to finish. Now, we’ve been trying to finish, but what’s holding us back is that we haven’t been starting. We’ve had a deficit to overcome every home game. I forgive the first one because of all the fanfare, but it’s getting ridiculous here now.”

NOWITZKI TO TOUGH IT OUT
Mavericks All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki was listed as questionable on Dallas’ injury report with a lower back strain but will play and start tonight.

“There is a small bone-chip fracture in the right wrist,” Head Athletic Trainer Joe Sharpe said today. “Right now it’s seven or eight days before he does any activity at all basketball-wise or anything with the wrist. After that, we’ll see what the doctor’s recommendation is after that. He could be (out more than a week).”

Neither Sharpe nor Wallace is certain when the injury occurred in Wednesday’s contest.

“It could have been the dive he took down at the other end of the court or could have been when he bumped into the chairs,” Sharpe said. “He’s not sure. I just know that it was probably when he came out at the end of the third or early fourth quarter that he told me his wrist was bothering him.”

Wallace is arguably the highest energy guy on the Bobcats, and with that comes the chance at obtaining more injuries. Still, Head Coach & General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff knows he can’t try to limit what Wallace does on the court.

“It’s the only way he can play and be effective,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s like trying to change a guy’s character. You’ve got to let guys be who they are if they’re going to be effective. But, yeah, you’re always concerned about it because he’s reckless. But that’s what makes him so damn good.

Bickerstaff now has the task at finding a replacement for the team’s top scorer. Wallace averaged 16. 2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.80 steals in his first five games this season, even after missing most of the second half against Utah on Monday after suffering a mild concussion after getting knocked to the floor by Andrei Kirilenko.

“I’m going to start (Keith) Bogans and Kareem (Rush),” Bickerstaff said. “It doesn’t matter where they play with us offensively. Our twos and threes all do the same thing. Defensively, we’ll match Bogans with the bigger guy. I’m going to let Jumaine (Jones) play his roll coming off the bench. I want to get Matt (Carroll) back to his role coming off the bench, too. Bogans has done a pretty good job on bigs this season.”

REST OF TEAM HEALING
Wallace was the only Bobcats player to miss practice on Thursday – a practice that Bickerstaff seemed extremely satisfied with.

“We had a good, short practice,” he said. “We watched some film of last night’s first quarter because we’ve been having some problems getting out of the gate, and then we came in and had a good, hard, short, intense practice to work on some stuff with defense.”

While the Bobcats might have lost Wallace for the time being, they did get some good news in that Bickerstaff expects Rush to be back in the starting lineup Friday and center Jake Voskuhl to see his first action of the regular season.

“It appears right now that all of those guys will be a go,” Bickerstaff said. “(Alan Anderson) is a go, too.”

MAVS HURTING, TOO
All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki’s status for Friday’s game is still uncertain. Nowitzki missed more than half of Dallas’ 112-97 loss in Philadelphia on Wednesday after sustaining a back injury in the first half.

“When you take somebody out of the lineup like Dirk, there aren’t many people like him,” Bickerstaff said. “But they have the (Keith) Van Horn and (Erick) Dampier and may go a little smaller, but the one thing they have is depth. I don’t think they have anyone equal to Dirk though.”

WALLACE READY TO GO
Despite being listed as questionable on the injury reports, Charlotte leading scorer Gerald Wallace will be back on the court tonight when the Bobcats face the defending NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.

Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff noted in his pregame press conference that Wallace was sore from his fall on Monday night against Utah, but would be back in the lineup. Bickerstaff said he would rely on the team's medical staff to make decisions about any lingering effects from the mild concussion.

"I think it's always a concer for the young man," said Bickerstaff, "but what we do is rely heavily on the doctors and trainers. I think that's the important thing. They have the expertise to deal with that and I'm sure they would step up and tell us if there was imminent danger for Gerald."

The inactive list for tonight's contest is Jake Voskuhl, Alan Anderson and Kareem Rush.

DISRUPTING THE FLOW
The Bobcats went with a backcourt of point guards Brevin Knight and Raymond Felton for long stretches in Monday night's contest against Utah. Bickerstaff said playing the pair together creates a mismatch for their opponent.

"You can run either one of those guys at (shooting guard) and run them off the screens," said Bickerstaff. "Raymond can handle it, Brevin can run off screens or vise-versa. It's just really to try to change the tempo of the game -- almost to disrupt the game. That is what we did the other night (against Utah), disrupt the game and their rhythm to get us going."

Bickerstaff says that Felton's strength is a positive when the pair are on the court.

"Raymond is so physical. He can bang with the best of them," said Bickerstaff. "He's not going to step back. It helps in that situation. There is no fear. There are other big guys who will step back, but he has no fear."

INJURIES FORCE BOBCATS TO HOLD BACK
The Bobcats had a shorter, non-contact practice on Tuesday, primarily because only 10 players were available to practice due to the Bobcats injury situation.

"We didn't have Emeka (Okafor), Brevin (Knight), Primoz (Brezec), Kareem (Rush) and Gerald (Wallace) go in today's practice, and we really need a good practice," Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "As I analyzed it last night, we haven't had a practice since the Tuesday prior to the Chicago game, so there's a lot of slippage right now."

Thankfully, Bickerstaff doesn't think all of the players who sat out of today's practice will be sidelined for Wednesday's game against the 2005 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.

"They're all banged up," Bickerstaff said. "Kareem is probably a scratch for tomorrow - that (left thumb) is basically what kept him out last night because he hit it again. Gerald (mild concussion) is doubtful. I think that Emeka, Brevin and Primoz should be okay, though."

The Bobcats did get some good news though, as Alan Anderson was cleared to participate in a full practice for the first time this year and Jake Voskuhl is working his way back to playing shape.

"Jake had a pretty good day today, but I still don't know if he's ready," Bickerstaff said. "He's still a little apprehensive on some of the moves that he can make. He can go straight ahead, but the moves where he has to go lateral or make twists, I don't think he's real comfortable with that yet."

HOMETOWN HANGOVER
The Bobcats have started their last two games, both at Charlotte Bobcats Arena, slowly and found themselves trailing after 12 minutes of play. In the home opener on Saturday, Charlotte fell behind, 32-25, to the Celtics at the end of the first stanza, and trailed Utah, 19-12, after one quarter of play on Monday, leaving Bickerstaff searching for answers.

"You try to figure it out, because the two games that we've had here at home, it seems like our energy level wasn't there to start the game," he said. "I can pretty much understand the Boston game because of what was going on, but when I look at the game (against Utah), I always look at certain players. If those certain players are having problems, you basically just move on, because you know that's not what they do. They get after it in those certain situations. The one thing I found out is that you just don't know when in an 82-game schedule when you're just not going to have it. I've never been able to figure out a reason for it.

Bickerstaff admits that what the Bobcats lack is that one true superstar who can will his team to a win when things might not be going as planned.

The good teams usually have somebody that can put you on their back," he said. "The superstars can play 76 games. In the other games, they might be bad but can find a way to get a win for you on the really good teams. We just don't have that at this point."

STAYING LEVEL-HEADED
The Bobcats have started the season off 2-2, while playing in three overtime contests in those first four games. A break here or an opponent's miscue there, and Charlotte realistically could be undefeated this season.

"I don't know if we're feeling too good about ourselves because we've won a couple of games. In fact, we could easily be 4-0," Bickerstaff said. "That's the thing we talk about with perspective, because the NBA will humble you very quickly. I don't think that was the case because we seem to be a pretty level-headed group of young men."

RUSH EXPECTED TO BE BACK
After missing the home opener on Saturday with a sore left thumb, Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff expects shooting guard Kareem Rush to suit up against the Jazz.

"It looks like Kareem is going to go. It looks like he's okay," Bickerstaff said in his pregame press conference. "I haven't heard anything to the contrary, and I've walked past (head athletic trainer) Joe (Sharpe) a couple of times. He's got it wrapped right now, and it looks like it's going to be okay."

With Rush back in the lineup, rookie point guard Kevin Burleson will go back on the inactive list for the Bobcats. Something Bickerstaff wouldn't have had the option to do in accordance to last year's rules about the injured list. When a player went on the list last year, he could not return until he had sat out five games.

"That's the good thing (about the new rules)," Bickerstaff said. "In that situation, if he had been out and you had to bring somebody up, he would have been out five games. So that rule is really good. Now you can come back when you're ready."

SHAKE IT OFF
After starting the season with road games on Wednesday in Chicago and Friday in Philadelphia before returning home to take on the Celtics on Saturday, Bickerstaff gave the Bobcats a day off on Sunday and hoped the team would come back re-energized for tonight's contest. Unfortunately, he didn't think that was the case after the morning shootaround.

"We had a little hangover this morning," he said. "That's the worst thing about having a day off. The guys are a little lethargic getting back into it. I basically told them that somebody has to step up and make sure that they set the tone tonight. So I do have some concern on that."

CREATING A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The way Charlotte Bobcats Arena was rocking, particularly in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game did not go unnoticed by Bickerstaff, and he believes that this group of Bobcats has the work ethic to win over fans in the Queen City.

"The fans were in the game, standing up and didn't leave," he said. "They could have easily left when we were down (10) with three minutes or so, but they were in it. I just think these guys, if you really give them a chance, will grow on you because of the type of people they are and the way they compete. It's not just something that they did the other night. It's something that they do - it's innate with them."

RUBBED THE WRONG WAY
Bickerstaff understood that all of the activity going on around the arena opening was necessary and was happy the players could oblige the fans in making this a memorable experience. In fact, there is only one thing that rubbed him the wrong way this past weekend.

"The only downside I saw with anything about this whole weekend was the ludicrous article on the front page of the paper (on Sunday)," Bickerstaff said. "I thought that was ridiculous. When you think about it, the only reason it was on the front page for the person who wrote the article was because of the arena and the Bobcats, so that put him in a position to be on the front page. I guess it's hard to be creative without being negative, but that was the only downside I saw."

"I have taken the tour, sampled the fare, looked at the extraordinary video board and seen the way that the arena flows and this is one exciting building," said Stern just before tipoff of the Bobcats' home opener. "I think that the citizens of the Greater Charlotte Area will feel very proud of it and will be very well served by it."

The Commissioner admitted being awestruck by the scoreboard and the thought process that went into building the arena.

"You cannot miss the video board," said Stern. "I’m not saying anything bad about anyone else, but this is the best in the league. The clarity is extraordinary. It’s stunning how much thought and nuance went into everything. There was a lot of love and attention to the details in this building."

As for attendance concerns, Stern says that once fans sample the building, that will not be an issue.

"We made the judgment that it would be too much of a delay to not start the team in the old building, recognizing that it had real problems both in access and in amenities," said Stern. "We understood that (playing in the Charlotte Coliseum) wouldn’t be anything like the new state-of-the-art buildings. We also understood that perhaps there would also be some lingering issues relating to the circumstances in which the Hornets left. With that said, we made the judgment to get going as soon as possible and that it would build moving into the new building, especially when people saw the arena.

"So, we expect that Charlotte’s gate and its receipts will be up and we also expect that attendance and the like will increase. They have very professional management and excellent leadership, it’s not going to be an issue."

FANS MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT
It didn't take long for Charlotte's new home court advantage to pay off. Fueled by their fans, the Bobcats rallied from a double-digit deficit late in the game on Saturday to force overtime and then shut down the Celtics in overtime for a 107-105 victory.

"The crowd was the best," said Bobcats point guard Brevin Knight. "When we needed that boost and when we needed to get over the hump, the crowd was there for us."

It was a new experience for Charlotte forward Melvin Ely.

“I have never played in an arena that loud where everybody is cheering for us," said Ely after the game. " It was a great experience, and the more the crowd comes, the louder they get, and the better we play. Since we left the court, nobody has stopped smiling.”

Charlotte players weren't the only ones impressed by the crowd.

"They got a lot of energy from the crowd," said Celtics forward Paul Pierce, "and I definitely think that helped them."

Boston guard Ricky Davis was impressed by not only the fans, but also the play of the Bobcats.

"They stole our energy from us in the fourth quarter," said Davis. "They started turning things around toward the end of last year. They have a great leader in Brevin Knight. Right now he is playing wonderful.”

STARSTRUCK
The stars were out for the Bobcats' home opener on Saturday. Actor Will Ferrell, Bobcats minority owner and Grammy-Award winning artist Nelly, singers Ashanti and Yolanda Adams, golfer Fred Couples, University of North Carolina Head Coach Roy Williams and NBA Commissioner David Stern were all in attendance to see Charlotte's victory.

Adams thrilled the crowd with a pregame rendition of "I Believe I Can Fly" before singing the National Anthem.

Click here to see a gallery of the activities surrounding the game.

BOBCATS TRYING TO KEEP THEIR FOCUS
When the Bobcats open Charlotte Bobcats Arena tonight against the Boston Celtics, the house will be rocking. But on this night, it won’t just be about the Bobcats against the Celtics – there is also the Grand Opening Celebration going on, with the festivities having begun around 4:30 p.m. on the Trade Street Plaza. Emotion and adrenaline will be running high in both players and fans as the game gets underway.

“That’s my fear on the whole thing here now,” Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said before the game. “I am concerned about the necessary distractions. I think it is something we need to do. I think it's the right thing to do, but I am concerned about it. I want to see if we can refocus, that's one reason we sat down and watched (game film of Boston and Detroit) - to try to refocus on that situation. You just want to get it on and get it done, and let's move on. I reiterate that it is something that needs to be done, though. I understand that. We've just got to find some way to surmount it.”

For Bickerstaff and the Bobcats, there is a good deal of uncertainty to how they will respond to the opening night events.

“I don't know what to expect tonight to be real candid with you,” Bickerstaff said. “We want to try to control the emotions because what usually happens in this situation. You see it happen in the collegiate level - guys come out, are emotional and their adrenaline is up - then it dissipates and there’s nothing left.”

HERE WE GO AGAIN
Worries aside, Bickerstaff is excited to again be a part of opening a new NBA arena.

“I understand the historical significance of this, because this is the third building that I’ve opened,” he said. “I did Washington twice. We did the Capital Center and then did MCI. I think this building is terrific. What I’m pleased about is that when the guys walk through the building and see different things, they’re really happy about having something that belongs to them. That’s a good thing.”

So how did Bickerstaff’s do in arena openers in the past?

“What was ironic about the Capital Center and the MCI was that we opened the Capital Center against Seattle and got a tip-in to beat them,” Bickerstaff said. “For the opening of the MCI Center, we played Seattle and won, too.”

So, he’s 2-0 entering tonight’s contest, right?

“The players are,” he laughed. “My jumper wasn’t on.”

HOME SWEET HOME
Bickerstaff has seen many things he likes about the new Charlotte Bobcats Arena, starting with where the Bobcats have spent the last two weeks practicing.

“I think the practice court is phenomenal,” he said. “It’s larger than most of them. You’ve got space in it to get things done.”

Bickerstaff has also been impressed with the video setup for the team – comparing it to most television studios he’s seen.

“The video setup here is almost like you’re at NBC, CBS, ABC, Time Warner, or anywhere else,” he said. “It really is just phenomenal, and the things that they can do for us scouting and stuff like that is terrific.”

Players and coaches aside, Bickerstaff is also impressed with what has been done for those closest to them.

“I think the family room for the kids and the wives is great,” he said. “You know you have to take care of the wives. It’s just really nice. They’ve done a great job on everything.”

Still, with all the amenities, Bickerstaff admits he’s still having a hard time getting adjusted to the new digs and fessed up that he’s been lost a few times.

“All the time,” he laughed. “When I leave out of here you turn left and then turn right, but on everything until you get the hang of it, if you just go around in a circle you’ll end up where you need to be.”