http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/basketball/8514428.htm Posted on Sun, Apr. 25, 2004 HORNETS Winning helps heal Davis' pain The New Orleans guard plays through two more injuries to put the Hornets in position to even the series in Game 4. BY TREY ILES Special to The Herald NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans point guard Baron Davis walked into the interview room Saturday with the gait of a 90-year-old man assisted by a walker. His ankle hurt, his back hurt, and he incurred two new injuries Saturday, a bruised elbow and knee. "When the season is over, I'm going to lay in bed for three weeks and not get out," Davis said. But the season isn't over, and the Hornets have new life in their playoff series against the Heat thanks to Davis' performance Saturday. He led the Hornets with 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting, had five assists, hauled in four rebounds and recorded four steals as New Orleans cut Miami's advantage in the series to 2-1 with a 77-71 victory at New Orleans Arena. THE SET-UP MAN But look beyond the statistics to find Davis' primary contribution, said Hornets guard David Wesley and forward George Lynch. It was Davis who found weaknesses in the Heat's defense and then got the ball to the right player in the right situation. Lynch and Wesley benefited. Wesley had a series-high 18 points, including six in the fourth quarter. Lynch scored nine points after getting just eight in the first two games. "He ran the show, and that's what we need him to do," Wesley said. "When he hurt his ankle [in the third quarter], then came back, he didn't force anything. He got people open shots. "He looked like he was in pain to me the whole game. He'd change his shoe. He'd change ankle braces and get re-taped. His elbow was all beat up. I couldn't tell if he was going to play or sit out half the time." Davis played most of the time, logging 37 minutes. He said the first half was easy. But when he re-injured his ankle in the third quarter, he played in pain the rest of the game, he said. Then he injured his elbow in the fourth quarter when he hit Lamar Odom in the head, forcing Odom to take six stitches. "It [the ankle] felt great in the first half," Davis said. "I was moving. I took some bumps but got up and kept playing. In the second half, it kind of gave way. "The thing I was able to do was get my teammates involved. They did a great job. They made the shots." CREDIT LYNCH, TOO Though New Orleans shot 36 percent, Davis said the Hornets executed better in their half-court offense. He said Lynch, who scored seven points in the first quarter, was the key. "Depending on how he plays is how we play offensively and defensively," Davis said. "When he is aggressive and is knocking down shots, that opens up a lot of things. It allows David Wesley some space and we can post [center Jamaal Magloire, who had 12 points] on the back end. [Lynch] did a great job of coming out aggressive. We needed him to do that." As for Davis' injuries, he said the ankle was the biggest problem. He'll skip practice today then practice Monday. "I'll spend a lot of time in treatment, stay off my ankle and ice it as much as possible," Davis said. "It's just something I have to work through as long as we're playing." --

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