http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/ sfl-heat24apr24,0,5052354.story?coll=sfla-sports-heat Heat expects a hard game in the Big Easy By Harvey Fialkov Staff writer Posted April 24 2004 MIAMI ?The Heat isn't expecting easy-pickings in the Big Easy. The high-flying Heat barely needed a plane for its short excursion to New Orleans, where it hopes to extend its 2-0 first-round playoff lead today at 1, but the players have remained grounded. They are expecting an angry, desperate group of Hornets in a hostile, packed New Orleans Arena. "There's going to be no [Heat] fans -- maybe one or two -- up there with a Heat logo on," center Brian Grant said. "We've got to be able to motivate ourselves. "Winning in New Orleans won't be easy in any way, shape or form." Since Wednesday's 93-63 blowout in front of a record 20,189 at a rollicking AmericanAirlines Arena, coach Stan Van Gundy and his veterans have been counseling the younger charges, explaining that a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 series means little more than holding serve at home. "It's up to me, Brian, Bimbo [Coles] and coach to tell them it doesn't mean much and that the playoffs doesn't start until you win on someone else's floor," guard Eddie Jones said. "When you do, you feel like you've accomplished something. Until then, you can't be comfortable." The Heat is 6-18 all-time in road playoff games and 1-3 in Game 3 road games. During the regular season the Heat also was a dismal 13-28 away from AAA this season. Still, the team can take comfort that it split the two games at New Orleans, winning 94-70 on March 10. "We've got to have confidence knowing we went in there and got one, even though they didn't have Baron Davis [ankle]," rookie guard Dwyane Wade said. While the Heat has won 13 in a row at home, the Hornets have struggled in their own nest. The Hornets were 25-16 at home, but lost four of their final six at New Orleans Arena, including critical losses to the Knicks, Suns and Raptors when they were battling for a home-court advantage. This season, the Hornets were ranked 28th of 29 in attendance (average 14,332), and even when they drew well during last year's first-round playoff series with the 76ers, they lost the decisive Game 6 in front of an arena-record 18,570. Overall, the Hornets are 6-5 in home playoff games, but 1-2 since relocating from Charlotte to New Orleans last year. "It's been a season of us trying to step up to challenges," Van Gundy said. "Now, we're playing from out in front and playing on the road. It gives us two big challenges." Van Gundy said that his team's defensive intensity hasn't been a problem on the road. "You have to play at a higher level on the road, and we haven't quite raised the level to win consistently on the road," Van Gundy said. "We don't seem to bring as much offensive energy on the road. "We don't run as much. We don't move the ball as well and the pace of our game becomes a little slower. That needs to change." Hornets forward P.J. Brown, a Louisiana native, is hoping some home cooking will stem the Heat's momentum. "Our fans will be fired up, rolling in from Canal Street and Bourbon, either before a party, during a party or after. It doesn't matter down here," Brown said. "They may just be walking in [without sleep]." It may be a must-win game for the Hornets, but Jones has his own musts in mind. "We got to go in there with a must," said Jones, who hasn't won a playoff series since his Lakers days in 1998. "We must achieve. "We must get a victory." Harvey Fialkov can be reached at [email protected]. Copyright c 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel --

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