Hornets return with hunger, Paul nearly captures triple-double

With all of the Western conference set to be riding on their back in the 2008-09 season the Hornets aim to flourish again. No one counted on them beating the Dallas Mavericks last year in the first round of the playoffs as they nearly squeaked past the Spurs. This is a new season and this energetic, talented New Orleans is ready for all competitors. Getting off to a good start last night the Hornets beat the Suns 108-95 in Phoenix. As usual it was a team effort that resulted in a big victory. Chris Paul got the rest of his teammates involved which lead to the Hornets' hot shooting in the first half. For the game they hit 54% on three-pointers. 3 players finished with at least 20 points each.

From the first quarter the Hornets were the composed team in control. The Suns' defense in the middle including Stoudamire and Shaq didn't serve as a main factor as New Orleans' got in the zone through streaky jump-shooting and good ball distribution. Leading by as many as 16 points the Hornets didn't get rattled by any comebacks by their opponent. Instead they clamped down on defense and thrived off turnovers by the Suns. Steve Nash tried to get Phoenix back in the game, finding teammates on the wing and inside while sinking a few shots of his own. The Suns reached within 3 points after Grant Hill's 17-footer to make it 83-80 in the waning minutes during the 4th quarter.

The outside shooting from New Orleans was too quick and accurate to overcome. As a result after 3 net burners from beyond the arch the Hornets built a 10-point lead and didn't look back. Coming off the bench James Posey added 13 points with a couple threes late to fuel the offense. Peja Stojakovic left the game early in the 4th quarter with a sprained ankle after hitting 7-of-13 shots for 20 points. Everyone on the team made a contribution in one way or another. Chris Paul knew how and when to get his teammates the ball. Not only did they make him look good, but he also had a upstanding performance: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists. He just missed a triple-double which would have made the win even sweeter.

With a 2-0 start for the season the Hornets show they're hungry again to be a contender in the West. After the game Chris Paul admitted he wasn't the only hand involved in the victory by stating, "This was a team effort. My teammates made my job easy by hitting big shots." The 4rd year star point guard a the centerpiece to the franchise and is such an unselfish player. That's makes this team so good. Any NBA franchise would like to a player the same as him on their side. I think since the Hornets look to be settled in New Orleans as their final permanent location their season run will only grow with a head of steam. Up next for their challenge is the Cavailers and Lebron James. This match-up is sure to turn heads and make waves.