Hornets-Suns Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN
Posted Nov 22 2012 2:18PM

As much as the New Orleans Hornets might miss big man Anthony Davis, there's probably little he could do about their defensive problems on the perimeter.

Opponents are hitting 3-pointers at an alarming rate against the Hornets, who could be without Davis again as they try to avoid a sixth straight loss Friday night in a road game against the Phoenix Suns.

Davis has missed the past two games with an ankle injury after sitting out a pair earlier this month due to a concussion. It remains unclear when or if the top overall pick will return on New Orleans' four-game road trip, which began Wednesday with a 115-107 overtime loss to Indiana.

The 15 3-pointers the Pacers hit - in 27 attempts - were the most by a Hornets opponent since the 2010-11 season. Indiana's Paul George had no more than 20 points or four 3s in a game this season, but he was 9 of 13 from beyond the arc and scored 37.

"When teams are hitting 3s like that, you just have to tip your hat to 'em," coach Monty Williams said. "Some of those shots were just like, it wasn't our night. Some of 'em, we lost guys. That's unforgivable."

The Hornets (3-7) have let the opposition make 56 of 117 (47.9 percent) from beyond the arc over the past four games. No other team has given up more than 45 3s in its last four.

They've surrendered at least 100 points in every contest during their five-game losing streak after holding each of their first five opponents under that mark. New Orleans is forcing a Western Conference-low 12.7 turnovers per game.

"We're still learning the rotations of the defense," center Jason Smith said. "... It's really one of our things that we're trying to emphasize to guys, play defense first and things will come easy on offense. I think we just gotta get better at that defensive end. We're giving up too many 3s."

Ryan Anderson has made 8 of 13 from 3-point range starting the last two games in place of Davis, who is averaging 16.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

Fellow Hornets big man Robin Lopez had season highs of 21 points and 13 boards Wednesday but went 3 of 17 from the field. This will be his first time facing the Suns (5-7) since being traded to New Orleans in July.

Lopez's matchup with the man he backed up last season could be a key Friday. Center Marcin Gortat has averaged 17.0 points and shot 63.2 percent in Phoenix's wins, compared to 8.3 and 45.8 percent in its losses.

Gortat's 22 points helped the Suns snap a three-game skid with a 114-87 rout of Portland on Wednesday.

It was their first game since coach Alvin Gentry inserted Markieff Morris and Shannon Brown into the starting lineup for Luis Scola and Jared Dudley. Morris scored a season-high 19 points and Brown added 10. The Suns are 0-4 when Brown fails to score in double figures.

"We came out ready to play," Gortat said. "We had two new guys in the starting lineup and we were a little bit better defensively. It's a great win but we need to forget about it really fast."

This is the first meeting between these teams since last season, when Phoenix lost the first one by one before winning the last three by at least 15 points apiece.

Suns rally, then hold on to beat Hornets in OT

By BOB BAUM
Posted Nov 24 2012 1:29AM

PHOENIX (AP) The Phoenix Suns stormed back after trailing by 19 in the third quarter. Then they wasted an eight-point advantage late in the fourth.

Eventually, Markieff Morris helped the Suns close out a wild victory.

Morris made a key 3-pointer in overtime and finished with a career-high 23 points as Phoenix handed the New Orleans Hornets their sixth loss in a row with a 111-108 victory on Friday night.

Goran Dragic added 20 points for Phoenix, including 12 in the final 6 1/2 minutes of the third quarter.

The Suns overcame career performances by Ryan Anderson and Greivis Vasquez. Anderson scored a career-high 34 points for New Orleans, going 8 for 13 from beyond the arc. Vasquez had 25 points and 14 assists, both career bests.

Anderson had 25 points in the second half and overtime, 14 of them as New Orleans ran out to the big lead in the third quarter. He went 7 for 10 from 3-point range after halftime.

"I can honestly say I've never seen anybody shoot it like that," Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said. "That was Larry Bird-like if you ask me, and I don't know if Larry Bird shot 3s like that. Talk about shooting them under duress - he had one good look and the other ones, we were right there, I mean we were right there and he just got it up and knocked it in."

Anderson shrugged off his career night and talked about his team's 19 turnovers.

"We have a lot of games like this," he said. "We've just had a lot of games come down to the stretch."

After blowing their big lead, the Hornets forced overtime by scoring the final eight points of regulation.

"We go from being down 19 to up 11, so that's a 30-point swing," Gentry said, "but we just couldn't quite close it out."

P.J. Tucker had 15 points for Phoenix, also a career best. Jermaine O'Neal had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

New Orleans was without Anthony Davis for the third game in a row because of a stress reaction in his left ankle. It was the second overtime game in a row for the Hornets, who lost 115-107 at Indiana on Wednesday.

Morris was in his second game as a starter. He scored 19 in his first game in the opening lineup on Wednesday.

"I mean, it is a little different, but Coach put it on me to be a starter," he said. "You know I have been waiting to be a starter and I need to produce and that is what I am doing."

The Suns, down 74-55 after Vasquez's 16-footer with 5:45 left in the third quarter, outscored New Orleans 39-9 and led 94-83 on Luis Scola's 8-foot hook shot with 6:37 left in regulation.

Dragic led the comeback with three 3s late in the third quarter. Tucker's 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer cut New Orleans' lead to 81-77 and started what turned out to be a 15-0 run as the Suns reserves scored the first dozen points of the fourth quarter. Jared Dudley's 3-pointer gave the Suns their first lead of the night at 82-81.

O'Neal's 5-footer put Phoenix up 86-85 with 5:49 to play and, after New Orleans cut the lead to three, Dudley's third 3-pointer of the quarter had the Suns up 103-95 with 1:37 to play.

But Anderson, whose eight 3-pointers also were a career best, sank a step-back 28-footer, former Sun Robin Lopez made a 14-foot shot and Vasquez made his only 3 of the night to tie it at 103 with 17.8 seconds left. Dudley misfired at the end of regulation.

Dragic's high-arching 18-footer put the Suns up for good in overtime, then Morris' 3-pointer made it 108-103. Anderson's 22-footer from just inside the 3-point line cut the lead to 108-105. Tucker sank a pair of free throws, but Roger Mason made a 3-pointer to cut it to 110-108 with 1.4 seconds to go.

Morris gave the Hornets one last chance by missing one of two free throws, but Mason could only toss up an air ball under pressure at the buzzer.

NOTES: Vasquez was 7 of 7 from the field in the first half and 10 of 13 for the game. ... The Hornets lost Jason Smith early in the game with a corneal abrasion. ... Phoenix was the second stop on a five-game trip for New Orleans. The Hornets are at Denver on Sunday. ... Phoenix opens a six-game trip Sunday at Philadelphia. ... The Hornets' 19-point lead was their biggest of the season. Their previous high was 14.

Notebook: Suns 111, Hornets 108

Norm Frauenheim, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Nov 24, 2012 1:12 AM - Updated Sat Nov 24, 2012 1:12 AM

THE FACTS: Markief Morris capped a career-high 23 points Friday night in only his second start of the season with a 3-pointer in overtime for a 111-108 victory over the Hornets in a wild, back-and-forth game at US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix.

The Suns (6-7) stormed back from a 19-point third-quarter deficit, only to see the Hornets (3-8) tie it in regulation at 103 apiece with eight successive points during a 58.2-second blitz that included Ryan Anderson's eighth 3-point goal on a night when he had 34 points, also a career-high.

The Hornets were within three with 3.6 seconds left in the extra period after Greivis Vasquez hit jumper initially scored as a 3-pointer. After a review, officials ruled Vasquez had stepped inside the 3-point line.

With 4.9 seconds left and the Suns holding onto a three-point edge, P.J. Tucker muscle his way to an offensive rebound of a miss by Jermaine O'Neal, who came off the bench for 11, 2 blocks and 13 points. Tucker was fouled. He sank both the subsequent free throws, saving a victory for the Suns on a night when they staged a 31-7 run that started with 4:23 left in the third quarter and ended with them leading by 11 with 6:37 left in regulation.

QUOTABLE: "I've never seen anybody shoot like that, to be honest with you. That was Larry Bird-like, if you ask me.'' -- Suns coach Alvin Gentry, on Anderson, who was 13-for-23 from the floor, including 8-for-13 from the 3-point distance.

THE STAT: The Hornets committed 19 turnovers, 11 after the first half.

TURNING POINT: On a night when there could have been several, there were two: First, Morris' 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 49.9 seconds left and then Tucker's offensive rebound with 4.9 seconds left.

QUOTABLE II: "I can't say enough about P.J. Tucker. He epitomizes what we want our team to be.'' -- Gentry.

HOT: Vazquez nearly stole one on the road for the Hornets with 14 assists and 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting.

NOT: Suns forward Michael Beasley continues to struggle. He had one rebounds and only two points on 1-for-6 shooting. His night was finished when he was pulled from the lineup for O'Neal with 7:50 left in the third quarter.

GOOD MOVE: Gentry's decision to go with O'Neal instead of Beasley down the stretch.

BAD MOVE: The Suns inability to deny Anderson the ball with 1:16 left in regulation.

IN THE ARENA: A sparse crowd, announced at 14,060, wanted to boo Hornets center Robin Lopez, who was back in US Airways Center for the first time since he left the Suns. The boos were as sparse as the crowd. Lopez was never much of a factor with eight points and seven rebounds.

ROOKIE WATCH: Gentry didn't play Suns guard Kendall Marshall, a lottery pick from North Carolina, for the third straight game

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Suns point guard Goran Dragic strung together numbers that added up to efficiency -- 20 points, 7-for-14 shooting, eight assists and three steals. He had three turnovers, half of Vasquez' total of six.

NOTABLE: Tucker hit two 3-pointer, or one more than he has in his career. He was 2-for-4 from the college 3-point line at Texas. ...Hornets forward Jason Smith suffered a corneal abrasion with 3:11 in the first quarter. He did not return. ...The Suns comeback after being down 19 points was their fourth double-digit comeback this season. They won for the first time when trailing after three quarters. ...O'Neal came off the bench for his fourth successive game with double-digit scoring, his longest streak since the 2009-2010 season.

UP NEXT: For the Hornets: Sunday @ Denver, Monday @ Clippers and Wednesday vs. Jazz. For the Suns: Sunday @ Philadelphia, Tuesday @ Cleveland and Wednesday @ Detroit.

• Hornets: Gordon
• Suns: Frye, Garrett

• Hornets: --
• Suns: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #47 Bennie Adams, #56 Mark Ayotte
• Attendance: 14020
• Duration: 2:34