http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1083235661269630.xml Hornets calling on past vs. Heat N.O. veterans pull even with experience Thursday, April 29, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy can watch game film and tweak plays, but in the end, the Hornets still have an edge that can't be minimized, New Orleans forward P.J. Brown said. It's playoff experience, and the Hornets have more of it than the Heat. That experience helped them overcome losing the first two games in Miami, which included a 30-point defeat in Game 2. The Hornets vowed to play better and did so, tying the series 2-2 after winning consecutive games at New Orleans Arena. They return to Miami for Game 5 on Friday night. "I think all the plays and intensity that we see, it all recycles," Brown said. "You've seen it once, you see it twice, and it all comes around again." For most of the Heat's players, it's a first-time experience. Miami has seven players participating in the playoffs for the first time, including starters Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Dwyane Wade. In total playoff games experience, the Hornets had a 414-167 edge against the Heat before the series started. The Heat's inexperience showed in Games 3 and 4. The team couldn't get its fast break going. Hornets point guard Baron Davis, who has participated in the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, used his experience to limit Wade's penetrations into the lane. After averaging 17.5 points after the first two games, Wade, a rookie, was held to two points in Saturday's 77-71 Game 3 loss. He scored 11 points in Tuesday's 96-85 setback. "That's all I can use right now, because I can't use my athleticism with all the injuries right now," said Davis, who continues to play with a sprained left ankle and sore left knee. "I'm not going to get rattled. I know that I've been in tough situations like this before." Several of the Hornets' veterans have provided needed contributions. Backup forward Stacey Augmon, a 13-year veteran, came off the bench and finished with 17 points, six rebounds and a steal Tuesday. Forward George Lynch, an 11-year veteran, continues to make perimeter shots and defensive stops. He made five of six shots from the field for 11 points in Game 4, and he limited Butler to seven points. Backup guard Darrell Armstrong, a 10-year veteran, broke from a 1-of-15 shooting slump by making two of three shots for seven points in Game 4. "It's about players playing right now, and our guys capitalized on the opportunity to come home, and they understood the importance of it," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said. "We've got a group who certainly understands their opponent. I think where experience really serves you is when you're playing with a 10-point lead, and we've got to improve on that." The Hornets are the oldest team in the league, with seven players with 10 years or more experience. The Heat has eight players who have played fewer than five seasons. It showed in Tuesday's loss when some of the Heat's players bickered with officials about missed calls, and some argued among themselves after failing to execute plays. "I think they're a little rattled, and, now, they've got to go home and read what the doubters say about this guy not doing this and that now," said Hornets guard Steve Smith, a 13-year veteran. "It's how you respond. A veteran guy reads the paper, but he doesn't let it go to his head. You know there's always going to be some ups and downs in the playoffs." Most of the Hornets' veterans look to their past playoff experiences and are reminded not to let up. Three seasons ago, Wesley, Brown, Davis and Jamaal Magloire all played in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks and trailed 0-2 before winning the next three games. The Hornets were eliminated in seven games. In last season's first round, the Hornets lost the first two games on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers before they were eliminated in six games. "You look back and visualize things that happened," Lynch said. "Playoff games, to me, move real slow, and you see rotations and guys doing certain things, and the more you have experience on it, the slower the game gets for you. "It's all about making adjustments throughout the game.We made adjustments, and it resulted in two wins. I would like to say that a veteran team going to Miami on the road is a good thing because we've been there, and we know what it's going to take to win." . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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