Bobcats Sink Hornets, Give Brown First Win
Second-year head coach Larry Brown got his first win with the Charlotte Bobcats in the preseason on Thursday, as his Bobcats beat the New Orleans Hornets, 108-101.
The Bobcats, who sported an embarrassing 0-9 preseason record in Brown’s first season as head coach, got the win thanks to heroics from backup PG D.J. Augustin from Texas. Augustin scored 22 points in the game, going 16 of 18 from the free throw line, to ruin Chris Paul’s homecoming to North Carolina.
“I was just being aggressive, driving,” Augustin said. “Coach told us to drive and not settle for jump shots, and that’s what I tried to do.”
Despite blowing a 21-point lead in the game, the Bobcats used a late 10-3 rally to spark their first preseason win in two years.
SG/SF Gerald Wallace was the only Bobcats starter to score in double figures, chipping in 14 points. Stephen Graham added 15 for Charlotte.
Without Boris Diaw and C Tyson Chandler, both out due to injuries, Brown continued to tinker with front court lineups.
“It’s not an experiment. We’re just finding out who can play,” Brown said. “That’s what training camps are for, to give guys that deserve to play the opportunity, and then work on the things you think are important to help your team win.”
