03/09/2009 - 06:20
Ty Defeats "Former Team"
by Devon Jeffreys

The Oklahoma City Thunder got a glimpse of what they're missing on Saturday night.

Ty scored 12 points and added eight boards as the Hornets extended their winning streak to seven games with 108-90 victory over, as No. 6 phrased it in a recent Twitter (http://twitter.com/tysonchandler), his “old team.”

After the game, the Big Easy Buzz Blog quoted TC on the win:

“I definitely can get used to this, we are playing great basketball right now. We are playing as a team, we have got to take this on our road trip.”

The Big Easy got it going quickly and did his fair share of damage in the Hornets 31-point first quarter. No. 6 had five of those 31 points and connected on two alley-oops: A Crescent City Connection from Chris Paul and a fine pass from Julian Wright that Tyson threw down with authority.

Ty had nothing but good things to say about Wright who filled in for Peja Stojakovic more than admirably with a 20-point, seven-rebound performance:

“He did some excellent things out there tonight; he got off and ran the floor. He did some great things for us defensively, helped out on rebounding. That is all he has to do is bring energy for us.”

Tyson's first quarter alleys were part of a 17-5 Hornets outburst to start the game. By the end of the first New Orleans had a 31-18 lead. TC had five rebounds to go along with his five first quarter points.

The Hornets almost relinquished the lead in the second quarter with The Big Easy finding himself in foul trouble, but held off a furious Thunder run to hold on to a thin 53-49 lead.

The teams matched 23's in the third as the game remained close, but the Hornets got their groove back in the fourth.

No. 6 scored five points in the final frame, three of them coming at the charity stripe and finished his night with another CCC hookup with Chris Paul as part of a 27-9 run that served as a knock out blow to the spirited Thunder.

THE STREAK CONTINUES
The victory continued New Orleans' current seven-game run of victories. The team has not lost since Ty's return from injury. David West feels that TC has given the team the right emotional boost as well as an advantage on the court.

“The thing with Tyson kind of put everybody on edge,” West said. “But after that, with him being back, I think it was just a matter of we were expecting him to be back (prior to the trade) and for us to rev it up down the stretch.”

The feeling of being separated, even for a day, has reinvigorated both Ty and his teammates. Rasual Butler said as much when talking to the Times-Picayune:

“Tyson has been huge, ” shooting guard Rasual Butler said. “He's back to his old self. He's changing shots in the paint, and he's been a monster on the glass. When he's moving to the basket and him and C.P. are hooking up for lobs, it just opens up the entire floor.”

Coach Byron Scott thinks No. 6 has been playing with an added edge that has made the Hornets a better team, as quoted by the T-P:

“I love Dr. Yates, he is a great guy, ” Scott said. “But he did us a service by failing him and allowing him to come back. I was surprised that he flunked it, but I was happy. Since he's been back, that's the chip on his shoulder that he needed to kind of get him going because he wasn't playing well.

“He was having a down season, and injuries had a lot to do with that. But he's so much more than (8.8 points per game). That's what he was averaging before the trade. I think it has been evident since he's been back in double digits points-wise and rebounding. That's the Tyson we know.”

For Tyson himself, the goal continues to be to win as many games as possible and make a run at a championship, something that seems more plausible with each game tacked on to the winning streak:

“What I remember as the toughest thing was having to say goodbye to my teammates after I got traded, ” Chandler said. “Now I'm back with these guys, and I just want to help us win.

I'm just excited to be playing. I never wanted to leave here because this is the first time in my career I felt I have a shot to win a championship. My family knows what that means to me. When I felt like that opportunity was taken away from me with the trade, it hurt.”

TC also has a solid belief in what has been built in New Orleans and gained some solid perspective when he believed he was on his way out:

“I've built some wonderful relationships when we came here to the city that is still recovering and getting back, ” Chandler said. “It gives you an understanding and sense of what you actually mean to the city. I told myself that there's no way I can't give these people 100 percent night in and night out.”

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
Last week, Ty posted a story about a young girl name Jasmina who has leukemia and is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant.

The story has caught on and is getting national attention and according to a FOX New York report, has gained endorsements from more celebrities including singers Rihanna and Kelly Rowland.

For more on Jasmina visit http://www.oneforjasmina.com/.

NEXT UP
The Hornets hope to keep rolling as they hit the road for Atlanta to take on the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks handed New Orleans their first loss of the season in their fourth game when they came into New Orleans Arena and snuck out with an 87-79 victory.

Ty had nine points in the contest and added seven boards. He was a perfect 3-3 from the field and blocked three shots.

The Hornets put their seven-game winning streak on the line with the 4 p.m. PST tip-off and all the action can be seen live in New Orleans on CST.

RELATED STORIES
Thunder at Hornets Play by Play (NBA.com, March 7, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090307/OKCNOH/playbyplay.html
Thunder at Hornets Box Score (NBA.com, March 7, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090307/OKCNOH/boxscore.html
Hornets energized by botched Chandler trade (AP, March 6, 2009)
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Hornets.com postgame: Hornets 108, Thunder 90 (The Big Easy Buzz Blog, March 7, 2009)
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Bone marrow drive for girl, 6 (My Fox NY, March 7, 2009)
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/090307_Girl_6_Needs_Bone_Marrow_Transpla...
Tyson helps Hornets get well in a hurry (The Times-Picayune, March 6, 2009)
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