http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1082020164174710.xml Mashburn likely to miss series Injury expected to keep him out of first round Thursday, April 15, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer WASHINGTON -- When the Hornets start the playoffs Sunday at Miami, forward Jamal Mashburn won't be in the lineup. Mashburn said Wednesday he most likely will miss the entire first round because the bone bruise in his right knee has not healed. "It's disappointing in a lot of ways, but I'm not only concerned about this year but also years to come," Mashburn said. "I'm having pain, and I'm feeling bone hitting on bone. I'm not able to run. As far as the first (round) part of the playoffs, I'm not going to be able to play." Mashburn has been on the injured list since March 16, and most of his rehabilitation work has been riding a stationary bicycle. "If I could play basketball on a bike, I would be fine," Mashburn said. "This is one of the injuries I've had that I can't diagnose. I don't how it's going to feel in a couple of weeks." Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager, declined to say Wednesday whether Mashburn would be put on the playoff roster. The decision must be made before 2 p.m. today, when the final playoff roster has to be sent to the league office. Twelve players can be put on the roster. It hasn't been determined whether guard Courtney Alexander will be included. Alexander missed the entire regular season after rupturing an Achilles tendon during an exhibition game in October. Coach Tim Floyd said this week he would prefer Alexander to continue his rehabilitation. But Alexander said the decision to play is up to him, and he hadn't decided by Wednesday night. LAST HURRAH: The Hornets played their last regular-season game in the Eastern Conference with Wednesday night's 94-78 victory against the Washington Wizards. The Hornets will compete in the Western Conference next season. STILL OUT: Hornets guard Darrell Armstrong missed his third consecutive game because of a severely sprained right ankle. It hasn't been determined if he will be ready for the playoff opener. Armstrong was hurt last Friday against the Boston Celtics at New Orleans Arena. Floyd hopes Armstrong will have recovered by Sunday. GOOD HALF: The Hornets shot 72 percent in the second quarter and outscored the Wizards 33-19 to take a 57-39 halftime lead. The Hornets shot 54.8 percent in the half. Center Jamaal Magloire made all five of his shots for 13 points. Guard Baron Davis went 5-of-6 for 14 points, including making all four 3-pointers. ON SCHEDULE: To keep Davis from getting overworked before the playoffs, Floyd played Davis seven minutes or less at the start of each quarter. On Monday, Davis returned to the lineup for the first time after missing nine games with a sprained left ankle. He played 27 minutes against the Wizards. NO LOSING SEASON: The Hornets avoided their first losing season since 1991-92. They finished 41-41, losing seven of their last 11 games. GOOD SEASON: Magloire closed the regular season with a team-high 45 double-doubles. He scored 23 points and had a game-high 14 rebounds against the Wizards. . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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