Written by
The Sports Network
(Sports Network) - The Charlotte Bobcats certainly hope to halt an ugly 10-
game skid tonight but maybe Paul Silas' club should just focus on staying
competitive when its visits the desert to take on the Phoenix Suns.
The Bobcats are an NBA worst 3-20 and have lost the first two games of a four-
game road trip by an average of 38.5 ppg. After falling in Hollywood to the
Lakers by 33, Charlotte responded with a 44-point setback in Rip City against
Portland.
Gerald Henderson scored 16 points on Wednesday vs. the Blazers while Derrick
Brown finished with 12 points for the Bobcats, who shot just 32.1 percent from
the field.
"This one's over and we have to move on...it was a bad game for us," Silas
understated.
Henderson, the team's leading scorer at 15.0 ppg, strained his hamstring in
Portland and is expected to miss two to four weeks of action.
Charlotte, which will finish its trek in Boston on Tuesday, is a dismal 1-12
as the visitor on the season. It has lost 10 straight for the longest slide
since a franchise-record 13-game skid from Jan. 11-Feb. 1, 2006.
The Suns are back in the desert following a brief two-game road trip (1-1) and
hope to gain a measure of consistency, having lost five of seven and 10 of
their last 14 contests.
In a 99-81 loss at Houston last night, Marcin Gortat recorded a double-double
of 15 points and 12 rebounds. Jared Dudley also scored 15 points and Steve
Nash provided just six points and handed out nine assists for Phoenix, which
made 41 percent of its shots and was outrebounded by a 49-39 margin.
"We came out without any energy and we could never find our rhythm," Gortat
said. "They came out strong and with a lot of energy. We were not ready to
play either physically or mentally. We didn't have the best effort. I'm trying
to do as much as possible and it is very frustrating."
Phoenix hopes to improve on its 4-6 home record tonight.
The Bobcats have actually won four straight over Phoenix and five of six
overall. In the Valley of the Sun, Charlotte is 2-5 all-time in its short
history.
The Sports Network