Whats the worst thing about losing a playoff game by 58 points?
It’s not just that the Hornets folded so meekly and early at home, which is sufficiently unforgivable. Or that they also lost games to the Nuggets by 29, 15 and 21 points. It’s that the Hornets unashamedly quit so quickly in Game 4 after fans in New Orleans showed up this season with greater regularity than the team could have ever dreamed, shaming misinformed know-it-alls like me who kept telling you that local residents couldn’t possibly invest their time and money into something as trivial as rooting for the local basketball team while still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The Hornets consistently played at near capacity in a building that holds 17,188, selling out well more than half their games. It seems that we were all wrong about the post-Katrina viability of NBA basketball in the Crescent City. Not nearly as wrong, though, as foisting the unspeakable score of Nuggets 121, Hornets 63 on a ridiculously loyal fan base in their farewell ’til next season. Marc
