原文出自nola.com http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/110309557720830.xml N.O. cries foul following loss Late call helps lift Charlotte in OT Wednesday, December 15, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- P.J. Brown sat slumped in his chair Tuesday night, still convinced he had knocked the ball away from Emeka Okafor. Yet with 5.7 seconds remaining in overtime and the Hornets holding a 93-92 lead against the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, Brown was called for a reaching foul. It proved costly as Okafor made two free throws to lift the Bobcats to a 94-93 victory. "I didn't agree with the call," Brown said. "I thought I knocked the ball away, but the referee thought it was a foul. It's a shock to me that it was called. I think you have to make the team earn it instead of calling something like that at that point of the game." Hornets coach Byron Scott was extremely upset about the call, saying it was the worst call he's seen in 12 years. "If he makes a play and scores, that's one thing," Scott said. "You don't bail them out, and that's what he did. He bailed them out." After Okafor's two free throws, New Orleans still had a chance to win, but guard Junior Harrington's shot from the left corner at the buzzer fell short, handing the Hornets their 11th consecutive loss. Their 1-19 record equals what the Orlando Magic did last season as the second-worst start in NBA history. On Tuesday, the Hornets returned to the Charlotte Coliseum for the first time since they relocated to New Orleans after the 2001-02 season. And similar to most of the games played at the Coliseum during the Hornets' final season in Charlotte, there were plenty of empty seats in the upper level sections of the arena as a crowd of 13,589 showed in the 23,319-seat facility. The Hornets heard cheers, and one fan held up a large "Welcome back" Hornets' banner when the team went through their pregame warm-ups. But the Hornets saw the game slip away during the final seconds. The foul was called after the Bobcats made the inbounds play and then got the ball to Okafor on the right side of the post. "It's just tough to lose a game that way," Brown said. "It's been a very tough season." Said guard David Wesley: "We just want a win, I don't know if we are having bad luck or just not executing down the stretch. Nevertheless, we are still losing games." The loss spoiled a fabulous effort by Harrington, who started in place of Alex Garcia, who will miss the remainder of the season because of a torn anterior cruciate in his left knee that occurred in Sunday's 88-69 loss to the Washington Wizards. The Hornets already had five players on the injured list. Harrington showed ability to make perimeter shots on his way to scoring 22 points. He made nine of 13 shots, including seven of nine in the fourth quarter. With 1:23 remaining in regulation, Harrington's 3-pointer gave the Hornets an 86-84 lead. But the Hornets eventually allowed backup guard Jason Hart to drive through the middle of the lane for a layup that forced overtime. "I didn't come in here thinking too much about it being the first time the Hornets are back in Charlotte," said Harrington, who made his first four shots. "I just wanted to help us get a win. Now we just have to get ready for the next game." For one of the few times this season, all five Hornets starters scored in double figures. Wesley led with 23 points, and Brown added 17. It was an evenly played game with 23 lead changes, but during some stretches the Bobcats appeared to be a little more athletic, a little more tougher at getting rebounds and scoring off putbacks. Charlotte outrebounded the Hornets 49-39 and outscored them 46-26 in the post. The Bobcats' bench also outplayed the Hornets' reserves, outscoring them 32-8. Okafor was able to back down Brown several times in the lane to score. He finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds for his 11th consecutive double-double. . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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