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PHILADELPHIA
VS.
TORONTO
MILWAUKEE
VS.
CHARLOTTE
SAN ANTONIO
VS.
DALLAS
L.A. LAKERS
VS.
SACRAMENTO
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Fred's Points: Hornets are still in the series
ESPN.com
What's the first thing you notice when you see ESPN's Fred Carter on NBA 2Night or SportsCenter? Of course, he points at you. It's his way of saying hello. So we've asked NBA expert Fred to greet us and make some points for ESPN.com from time to time. Here are his points for the Hornets-Bucks series. Look for more questions and answers occasionally. Enjoy.
Hornets-Bucks
1. Milwaukee has gotten off to great starts in each of the first two games of this series. What can Charlotte do to not fall behind by so much off the bat?
This series is very similar to the Sacramento-Phoenix series in the first round. You have to play the game below the foul line. Charlotte's guards are trying to match Milwaukee's guards in terms of offense and, though they don't want to hear it, the Hornets' guards are not good enough to do that.
In Game 2 Charlotte won the battle of the paint 50-28 and they didn't really even try to pound the ball in there. If they want to control the tempo of the ballgame they need to keep the ball below the foul line. That will force Milwaukee to double-team and rotate to protect the boards making it more difficult to run the break. If Charlotte controls the paint, they can win.
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2. The Hornets are an excellent rebounding team, but the Bucks are killing them on the boards. Any explanation why?
Charlotte's guards have got to come back and pick up loose balls. The big guys are in there battling and fighting. Baron Davis and David Wesley have to hustle back and help out on the boards.
3. At the end of Game 2 the Hornets were down by a point and the Bucks had the ball, but Charlotte coach Paul Silas elected not to foul to get the ball back. The Bucks got an offensive rebound and ran out the clock. Good choice by Silas or bad?
If Paul had it to do over again I hope he would give a foul. Even if Milwaukee hadn't shot the ball, Charlotte would still have had only three seconds to get a shot to win. It would have been hard to get a makeable shot after inbounding the ball with three seconds.
They could have given a foul early. Even if Milwaukee makes both free throws it is still a one-possession game with a lot of time left on the clock. You can probably get a layup and foul again. The object is to extend the game and get as many possessions as you can. Don't let the other team drain time from the clock.
4. The series shifts back to Charlotte for the next few games. The Hornets were up and down all season long at home and away, so will a change of scenery make a difference, especially in a town where the team has threatened to move?
The Hornets have been a Jekyll-and-Hyde team all year long and I can't figure out which is Jekyll and which is Hyde. If the wrong one shows up they could find themselves down 3-0.
Milwaukee is a tough-minded team, they know how to win on the road and they know that if they win Game 3 they are a lock for the conference finals. George Karl is making that speech already. They will come out and load up to take Charlotte out early. The Hornets' best team has got to show up, especially in the first quarter.
5. The way the Bucks are playing right now, there are many who think they are the best team in the East? Do you agree, and how would Milwaukee match up against the likely West representatives?
I don't necessarily agree that Milwaukee is the best team in the East. Milwaukee can score but Toronto and Philly are two darned good basketball teams that are beating their heads against each other right now.
Milwaukee has an outstanding record against the West. But if you look at the size of the teams out there, they will be able to pound the ball down below the foul line. If Milwaukee is shooting well, though, they can beat anyone.
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