原文出自 nola.com http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1098253515150260.xml Fowlkes makes most of limited playing time Forward hustling to make N.O.'s roster Wednesday, October 20, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer Hornets forward Tremaine Fowlkes is scrambling to make an impact with only a limited amount of minutes in the preseason. Coach Byron Scott isn't completely sure if Fowlkes can help his team in the regular season. So Fowlkes took advantage of another opportunity in Tuesday's 92-89 exhibition victory against the Philadelphia 76ers at New Orleans Arena to convince Scott that he belongs. In 15 minutes, Fowlkes scored six points on 2-of-3 shooting. Near the end of the game, when the Hornets were holding a three-point lead, Fowlkes grabbed a key rebound after forward Lee Nailon missed a 17-foot jumper with 16.9 seconds remaining. But Fowlkes doesn't know if his efforts will be enough. Only 12 players can be put on the active roster for the regular season, and teams must reach that number by Nov. 1. The Hornets entered Tuesday's game with 17 players on the preseason roster. "You just have to go out there and be active and not think about the situation that you're in," said Fowlkes, who played with the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons last season. "Some things fell because Baron (Davis) got me some easy buckets and I was just trying to be active on the defensive end and try to come up with the big rebound like I did at the end." With the Nov. 3 season opener against the Dallas Mavericks getting closer, Scott plans to use a nine- to 10-man rotation starting Thursday against the Orlando Magic in Biloxi, Miss. "The first four games, you're trying to take a look at everybody," Scott said. "The next two games will be cut down from looking at everybody to focusing on nine or 10 guys who are probably going to play. The last couple of preseason games are used to get more of a routine down for your rotation." Fowlkes is competing against Nailon and Britton Johnsen f at small forward. They all caught a break when starter George Lynch was scratched from the lineup because of back spasms. Nailon started in Lynch's place and Fowlkes was the first off the bench. Johnsen played 12 minutes, took one shot and was scoreless. Fowlkes needed two minutes to score five points in the first quarter. He got a steal in the second quarter and made one of two free-throw attempts. Several other Hornets reserves, also battling for roster spots, tried their best to show they can contribute. Backup point guard Junior Harrington showed his hustle as a defender, but he missed four of five shots. "I have played hard my whole career," said Harrington, who scored five points. "That's the only way I know how to play. When you are out there playing hard, you really make some things happen." Backup point guard Alex Garcia played 13 minutes and scored six points with no assists. For the second consecutive game, second-round draft pick Tim Pickett did not play. Scott's main priority was to see how his players would respond defensively. The 76ers entered with a 3-0 record with All-Star guard Allen Iverson averaging 19 points per game. Initially, the Hornets made it difficult for Iverson. He missed five consecutive attempts before scoring. Iverson didn't get into an offensive rhythm until the third quarter, when he scored 12 of his 16 points. Scott demanded improved defensive play after the Hornets gave up their highest field-goal percentage in the preseason as the Los Angeles Clippers shot 44.9 percent. They limited the 76ers to 42.1 percent shooting. The Hornets held the 76ers to 18 points on 31.6 percent shooting in the third quarter, which helped the Hornets take an 11-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Among the starters, center Jamaal Magloire was dominant as both a scorer and rebounder. He scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Darrell Armstrong led the Hornets with 17 points. "Jamaal was terrific," Scott said. "He got off to a rough start where he missed some easy shots. In the second half, he really got going." Point guard Baron Davis was effective at driving to the lane for shots. He finished with 13 points in 23 minutes. Rookie guard J.R. Smith couldn't match his performance Saturday night against the Clippers, when he scored a game-high 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting. But he played well defensively against the 76ers and finished with nine points. . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3787. --

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