04/20/2009 - 10:12
Ty, Hornets Fall to Hot-Shooting Nuggets
by Devon Jeffreys

The bad news Sunday night was that New Orleans got blown out.

The good news: the Big Easy played 27 minutes, including the entire third quarter after a long halftime -- a definite positive as his balky left ankle withstood the test of the mile-high elements and the physical Nuggets.

A tough start, but the ankle held up (Getty Images).

After the game, Ty noted to reporters that he’s putting the injury out of his mind to the best of his ability, as quoted by the Times-Picayune:

“I feel OK. I told myself that I’m going to play and I’m not going to worry about it (inflamed left ankle). When I get out there, I’m not going to make excuses. I’ve just got to deal with it because it’s not going to go away.’‘

No. 6 scored six points on 2-2 shooting and 2-2 from the line. TC also pulled down five boards, but the Hornets had no answer for Chauncey Billups, who drained eight of nine threes, as the Nuggets knocked off the Hornets 113-84, to take a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series.

“The difference between them and us is that they had great movement. They got into their sets and executed well,” Ty told the Times-Picayune. “Chauncey Billups’ 3-point shots took the breath out of you every time. I think that’s what give them the edge and made them more physical.”

The loss will be a tough one for New Orleans to swallow, but with the experience of last year’s playoff run fresh in their minds, Tyson thinks the team knows not to overreact to one game, as quoted by the Times-Picayune:

“You’ve got to have patience in the playoffs. (Last season, the Spurs) took care of their home floor and got the win that they needed (in New Orleans).”

PRESENCE FELT
Tyson got involved in Sunday night’s game from the get-go, securing the first rebound of the game and putting pressure in the face of Nuggets center Nene Hilario. He even recorded a steal when he picked off a Carmello Anthony pass. The theft led directly to a David West jumper that gave New Orleans a 6-5 lead.

Minutes later, TC got his first bucket on a Hornets fastbreak.

Outmanned 5-2 on his side of the floor, it seemed as though Chris Paul would try to slow things down, but he fooled the defenders into relaxing, then fed the ball into the paint, to Tyson, the only other Hornet at the offensive end. The other four defenders stood in place and watched as the Big Easy gained position on Nene and made contact as he tossed up a modified right-handed hook, off the glass and in.

The bucket gave NOLA a 10-8 lead. Tyson would check out a few moments later after picking up a foul on Nene. When he exited, the score was tied at 13.

PICK-ING THEM UP AND KNOCKING THEM DOWN
One more thing the Hornets missed when Tyson was out was the thunderous picks that the Big Easy sets, allowing his teammates to find open lanes and leaving his opponents dazed and confused.

No. 6 set several hard picks on Sunday allowing CP to cut through lanes for short jumpers.

And though the pick isn’t the most thrilling play in the game, Ty drew some oooh’s and ahhh’s from the opposing crowd when a third quarter pick on Carmello Anthony stopped the All-Star forward in his path and even knocked him down to one knee.

Carmello seemed to take offense to the har, but legal, pick and tried to return the favor a few minutes later. But Melo’s moving screen was whistled as a foul. TC went to the line and knocked down both free throws. The tension between Carmello and Tyson could be something to watch throughout the series.

Tyson’s picks seemed to impede the Nuggets to a degree, but the Hornets couldn’t get the roll half of the pick n’ roll working and missed several open buckets off the screens.

CCC MISSES THE MARK
Tyson converted only one alley-oop in the game and it wasn’t off a direct Chris Paul feed, although CP helped create it.

With the Hornets trailing by eight early in the third, CP drew in Nene to take two defenders leaving Tyson open. Surrounded, CP flipped the ball to D-West as Ty roamed toward the bucket, West floated a perfect alley over the bucket and TC finished with an emphatic slam.

The Hornets went for another alley-oop less than a minute later but the timing was off on both the pass and the dunk, The ball ended up in the net, but the refs ruled that TC held on to the rim for too long and the basket was disallowed.

BATTLE ON THE BOARDS
Of Ty’s five boards, two came on the offensive glass as the Big Easy tussled with Nene for rebounds. The Nuggets worked hard to box No. 6 out on several rebound opportunities.

The chipiness between the two big men could be another point of emphasis for the rest of the series as well.

Hornets.com’s Jim Eichenhofer supplied a short analysis on Tyson’s performance on the Big Easy Buzz Blog:

“His stats didn’t wow you but in the first half he kept balls alive on the boards and generally provided the activity in the paint that the Hornets often lack without him available.”

LOOSE TY-ES
The Big Easy checked out of the game with 8:42 to go and the Hornets trailing by 26…The Nuggets put the game away with a 21-0 run form the 2:19 mark of the third to the 8:33 mark of the fourth…With five rebounds on Sunday, Ty left himself two rebounds short of 400 this year…The last time Tyson shot 100 percent from the field and the free throw line was January 19 against Indiana, the game in which he injured the ankle that plagues him to this day.

NEXT UP
The Hornets look to get back on track and knot the series at one, this Wednesday night, when they take on the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the best of seven series. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PST and all the action can be seen live on TNT.

RELATED STORIES
New Orleans Hornets at Denver Nuggets Box Score (ESPN.com, April 19, 2009)
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290419007
I’m picking the Denver Nuggets in six over the Hornets (The Times-Picayune, April 19, 2009)
http://blog.nola.com/johndeshazier/2009/04/denver_nuggets_to_end_new_orl...
Game 1 recap: Nuggets 113, Hornets 84 (Big Easy Buzz Blog, April 20, 2009)
http://neworleanshornetsblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/game-1-recap-nuggets-1...
New Orleans Hornets quotes from Game 1 (The Times-Picayune, April 20, 2009)
http://blog.nola.com/hornetsbeat/2009/04/new_orleans_hornets_quotes_fro....
Denver Nuggets blast New Orleans Hornets 113-84 (The Times-Picayune, April 20, 2009)
http://blog.nola.com/hornetsbeat/2009/04/denver_nuggets_blast_new_orlea....

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