New Orleans make it to 5-0 against the Miami Heat

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

Miami Heat 93  New Orleans Hornets 96

Last night I watched my first New Orleans Hornets game of the season.  Knowing that Chris Paul had a less than stellar 2009-10 season due to injury and lack of great play from teammates, I was 100% sure I was in for possibly the best game of the season until now.  With all the hype surrounding Miami's "Big 3" over the summer and all the rumors surrounding Chris Paul and Carmelo forming their own trio with Amare Stoudamire, it was safe to assume that Paul was playing with a chip on his shoulder.  I was one of those NBA fans who have Chris Paul and Deron Williams tied for best Point Gaurd in the league, with Steve Nash at 1A.  I have since changed my mind.

I will stray from giving a play by play about this game and lean towards a few major factors that swung this game in New Orleans direction, down to the final buzzer beater to maintain the lead and win the game.  The Hornets came into last night's game 4-0, having beat Milwaukee, Denver, San Antonio and Houston.  The Heat were 4-1 in blow outs against Philadelphia, Orlando, New Jersey and Minnesota, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Boston Celtics.  Much like all Miami games, home or away, the New Orleans Arena was sold out, and the playoff of atmosphere was in full swing.  I believe every Miami Heat game from now on will have this type of attention and passion from all fans, which above everyone else, is making NBA Comissioner David Stern very happy.

The Heat lead only once in this game, during the 4th quarter, in a dominating performance from Chris Paul and company.  The Hornets played the best basketball I have seen all season.  They had 6 players in double digits including Chris Paul's 13 points, 19 assists and Okafor's 26 points and 13 rebounds and shot just under 50% as a team.  The Heat were once again top heavy when it came to scoring with Wade scoring 28 points with 10 rebounds and Lebron's 20 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds.  Bosh chipped in with 15 points of his own, with a huge 3 pointer near the end of the 4th that could have been the winner for the Heat.

I now believe that Chris Paul is the #1 point guard in the NBA and Deron Williams and Steve Nash are tied for 2nd.  The back to back MVP awards for Nash would have some call me crazy, but feel free to let me know why I might be wrong or why you might agree with me.   This win bumped the Hornets to 5-0, giving them the best start in franchise history. You must also consider the players Chris Paul has on his team, which makes his achievements all the more impressive when compared to Steve Nash and Deron Williams.

Here are some highlights form the game.