http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/108331742056460.xml N.O., Miami in series' key game Hornets seeking to win, return home with 3-2 lead in playoffs Friday, April 30, 2004 By Jimmy Smith Staff writer MIAMI -- So now, it's a three-game series between the Hornets and Heat, a best two-of-three. Just what does that mean? How is anything different than it was 12 days ago, when these two teams squared off in Game 1 in AmericanAirlines Arena, where Miami has won 14 consecutive games? "I think the pressure is to get this game," Hornets guard David Wesley said Thursday. "I think if you get this game, you're kind of in the driver's seat. Every team has won on its floor. So if you can win on the road, you have a good chance of winning the series. "I really feel if we win (tonight), we put ourselves in the driver's seat to win the series." In the first two games at AmericanAirlines Arena, the Hornets lost the opener by two points and the second game by an embarrassing 30. Yet with two solid victories at home, the Hornets feel as though the momentum has shifted their way, despite Miami's home proficiency. "We can't give them too many chances of going back home on their court, with the officiating, getting the crowd involved. . . . There aren't too many chances to go down and win on their floor," said Hornets forward George Lynch. "But we know what's at stake. If we win there, we come home with our fans. And strange things can happen when you're playing at home in the playoffs. They're probably a little shaky right now, second-guessing themselves." A team arguably swelling with thoughts of a four-game sweep when it arrived in New Orleans last weekend, the Heat is looking like a team in the midst of a confidence crisis. "Man," Heat forward Lamar Odom told the Miami media after the loss in Game 4, "we can't close these guys out. Maybe it's meant to go seven." Or less, depending on whether New Orleans can do what no team has been able to do since March 2 -- win on the Heat's court, which Toronto did on that date, 89-86. "It's right back to where it was at the beginning of this series -- us trying to steal a game on the road," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said. "That's what the series becomes. "It doesn't become about Miami losing at our place. It has become about us stealing a game on the road. . . . We knew it going in, and it's back to the same place." What's not known, however, is how either team will respond. Miami's young, inexperienced group might be questioning whether it has the wherewithal to overtake a Hornets team that has proven its playoff mettle in a number of unexpected ways, including the offensive efforts of Lynch and fellow small forward Stacey Augmon. "As far as the mind-set of the players, best-case scenario, you're hoping you created some doubt in their mind after a 30-point win at their place," Floyd said. "You can't rest assured that's the case, but you're hoping. "And you're hoping you have more confidence. After Game 2, let's face it: We had lost five out of six to them. And, if anything came from it, maybe we've got a little more confidence." One thing is certain, though: The postseason-tested Hornets, who've experienced the sudden finality of the playoffs all too often, are aware that the stakes have risen because only three games remain in the series. "In Game 1, 2 and 3, you're always thinking in the back of your head, 'Well, we've got another game,' " said Lynch. "Now, you know it's a three-game series. Although we talk about 'Let's take care of business,' you've really got to do it now. "This is going to show what type of character we have. We were able to come back and tie it up, so we'll really see what type of guys we have. "You know, Indiana (the opponent for the winner of this series) has been resting. And they're a good team. If you can finish it out in six, why not do it?" . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3814. --

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