http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1082710681229000.xml DOWN BUT NOT OUT Embarrassed N.O. calls on pride in a 'must-win' game against Heat Friday, April 23, 2004 By Benjamin Hochman Staff writer As the beleaguered Hornets scrimmaged Wednesday afternoon, Coach Tim Floyd sprinted back and forth on the sideline with the gusto of a referee, catching up with the action -- and, yes, there was action offensively. About 14 hours after the 30-point Game 2 loss to Miami, in which New Orleans shot 24.4 percent from the field, there was no sulking. And there were no "rah-rah" motivational cheers. There was visible intensity from the players and from the head coach, who has never won a playoff game and faces a must-win Saturday -- statistically speaking. Seven teams in NBA history have won a seven-game series in which it lost the first two games, but no team has ever gone down 3-0 and won. "All I know is we were a team that got embarrassed last night," Floyd said of the 93-63 loss. "And these guys are professional athletes, and you respond to that embarrassment if you've got an ounce of pride in you. Hopefully we will." "All of us have been in the playoffs, all of us realize what we're up against -- we don't need a whole lot of 'rah-rah,' " said guard David Wesley, who was 2-for-9 from the field Wednesday. "Everybody's frustrated that we're in this situation, but we come out here and put it all out here on the floor in a good 45 minutes to an hour of practice, watch some film, and come out and get the job done." Before Game 1, Floyd was pleased with the intensity in practice, and the Hornets played tough, losing 81-79 on a short jumper by Dwyane Wade. But with the nagging ankle injuries to guards Baron Davis and Darrell Armstrong, practices before Game 2 were not as intense. On Thursday both guards were at practice, and the intensity level crept back to where coaches were satisfied. But that means nothing if the team can't convert that to the court, something Floyd said Miami has done quite well. "We played against a team that had really duplicated the intensity that's necessary for Game 2 in their practice sessions," Floyd said. ". . . You don't just turn it on in the games." Meanwhile, the Heat is well aware that it beat a battered Hornets team at home in Miami, where the Heat has won 19 of its past 23 games. Miami also is well aware of the Hornets' veteran personnel. And it is well aware of its 13-28 record away from Miami this season. "It's not over, I think we all know that," forward Lamar Odom said. "We all watch sports and the NBA playoffs all our lives. And I think we all realize we have to play until the fourth game is won. When that's going to be, who knows? . . . We can't really focus on what went wrong on the road during the regular season. Whatever was wrong, we have to get it right going into this game." The Hornets are saying the same thing about their play of late. Although shots didn't fall Wednesday, and the rebounding this series has been occasionally lax -- Miami has a 92-85 advantage -- some Hornets pointed to an overlying example of futility. And that's hustle. Or lack thereof. "(Miami) seemed to get every loose ball yesterday, and we didn't seem to get any," Hornets forward P.J. Brown said. "And that was just uncharacteristic of us to play like that. Even though the shots weren't falling -- 24 percent from the field -- in the NBA, there's going to be days like that. A team can do that -- outshoot you -- but they shouldn't out-work you, out-hustle you this time of year. And that's the most disappointing part. "This series is very winnable. It's a one-game season, that's all. We need Saturday's game, it's a must-win. It's been done before. We can come back. We've got to forget -- some way, some how -- about what happened last night and get ready for Saturday." . . . . . . . Benjamin Hochman can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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