http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1083146332317290.xml Hornets' Davis quickly warms to task NBA isn't worried N.O. hasn't played before full house Wednesday, April 28, 2004 By Jimmy Smith Staff writer He hadn't practiced for three days, even missing Tuesday morning's shoot-around at New Orleans Arena, but Hornets guard Baron Davis wasted no time asserting himself against the Miami Heat in Game 4. Davis, who began by wearing a canvas brace on his sprained left ankle in addition to heavy taping, scored the Hornets' first points on a 20-foot jump shot, and hit his second shot, as well. The brace was gone by the fourth quarter. "I expect him to play well, I really do," Coach Tim Floyd said before the game. Floyd, though, expressed surprise that guard Darrell Armstrong still is able to play, despite his badly sprained right ankle. "A lot of guys wouldn't be playing right now with his ankle the way it is," Floyd said. Armstrong checked in for the first time with 3:09 remaining in the first -- replacing Davis -- but had to unwrap a heat pack from his right knee (tendinitis) before removing his warm-ups. LEAGUE SPEAKS: Deputy commissioner Russ Granik, who dined with Hornets majority owner George Shinn before the game and watched from the stands, said the NBA isn't very concerned about attendance difficulties in the first two playoff games this season. "I think we'd like to see a little better attendance," Granik said, "and we'd like to see playoff games sell out for sure. But it's still a new operation here, and we feel very good about the general level of support here -- and over time we're pretty comfortable with the way the Hornets are looking." Tuesday's game drew 16,009. Granik said the city still was on track for an All-Star Game, probably before the end of the decade. The Hornets and the city of New Orleans are bidding for the 2008 game and would like to present it at the Superdome. Granik said if Shinn wants to hold the game there, the league would consider it. "It wouldn't be our first choice," Granik said, "but it certainly would ease our ticket problems." OUCH: It appeared the Heat's Lamar Odom hurt his right hand or wrist in a scrum for a rebound with four minutes remaining in the first quarter Tuesday night. Odom shoots with his left hand. TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for Sunday's Game 6 at the Arena will go on sale at 10 a.m. today at the customary Hornets' ticket outlets, through 1-800-4NBA-TIX or on the team's web site, hornets.com. The time of the game will be announced by the NBA today. GAME DELAY: Play was held up for several minutes toward the end of the second quarter when someone from the stands hit Hornets' sideline TV reporter Jordy Hultberg in the face with a whipped-topped pie. The mess covered the floor under the Miami basket, as well as Hultberg's face. FIRST MISS: The Hornets' George Lynch was perfect from the field in the first half, hitting four of four. He missed his first shot with just over eight minutes remaining in the third, but came back with a 3-pointer less than a minute later. . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3814. --

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