http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1083057911110140.xml NO TIME FOR PAIN Hornets' guard Davis says he'd sit out tonight's game against Miami if it was the regular season, but during the playoffs you play with injuries Tuesday, April 27, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer If it was a regular-season game, Hornets point guard Baron Davis wouldn't risk playing tonight with a sprained left ankle, sore right elbow and sore left knee. But it's the playoffs, and Davis is needed. The Hornets are facing the same must-win pressure in Game 4 against the Miami Heat as they did in Game 3, when they trailed 2-0 in the first-round series. Davis, despite his injuries, led the Hornets with 21 points Saturday and held Heat rookie point guard Dwyane Wade to two points and no assists in the Hornets' 77-71 victory. A Heat victory tonight at New Orleans Arena would give Miami a commanding 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven series. A Hornets victory would tie the series at 2. With that in mind Davis has decided to play, despite missing Monday's practice and limping noticeably for the past two days. "If it's the regular season, there's no way in hell I would play," Davis said. "But there's no tomorrow, man. It's probably going to come a time when we get deeper in the playoffs, I'm going to miss a game or two, because it's not getting better. But I've just got to will it out and sacrifice right now." Hornets coach Tim Floyd said the Hornets need Davis. "If Baron can't go or get it to the rim, we're in trouble," Floyd said. "He's got to be able to penetrate with the basketball. "Miami is going to bring a different face, and we've got to respond with the same level of intensity. The whole key is how we play, and not how they play." Several other Hornets will also play despite injuries. Starting center Jamaal Magloire has a swollen elbow. Backup guard Darrell Armstrong has a sprained right ankle, and forward P.J. Brown still is not 100 percent because of a sore left ankle that he sprained last month. Still, the Hornets are prepared to keep the lane crowded, limiting the Heat's fast-break opportunities. And Brown said they are going to be physical again in the post, challenging shots and battling for rebounds. "We can't change anything," Brown said. But the one area where the Hornets need change is their shooting, especially from the perimeter. Though guard David Wesley hit three of four 3-point attempts Saturday, the rest of the team shot 2-of-13 from 3-point range. The Hornets are averaging 73 points per game in the series, shooting 33 percent from the field. In Game 3, they shot 35.5 percent. In Game 2, the Hornets finished with their lowest shooting percentage in a playoff game in franchise history when they shot 24.4 percent in a 30-point loss. "That's their chemistry on defense. They play aggressive," Armstrong said. "They're going to trap you. They messed me up in Game 1, when we did a little play where I got a handoff and they trapped me. It caught me off guard, and I walked with the ball." The Heat is expecting another tough, physical game. Forward Caron Butler missed Sunday's practice with a sore Achilles' tendon, but he is expected to start tonight. Forward Lamar Odom will start despite having six stitches on his left eyelid after taking an inadvertent elbow from Davis on Saturday. "It's going to be a challenge, and it's been a season of us trying to step up to challenges," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I can't worry about what other people's game plans are. If they take it to the lane, then we've got to contain the ball off the dribble and get bodies in front of them." Van Gundy said he is preparing as if Davis will be at full strength. . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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