Charlotte, N.C. — With 10 inches of snow on the ground and the city practically shut down, the Hornets told their wives and children to stay home. Just about everyone else in Charlotte did the same.
Fewer than 1,000 fans turned out Thursday night to see Baron Davis get 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds while leading the Hornets to a 114-102 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Hornets guard Baron Davis drives to the basket in a virtually empty Charlotte Coliseum. With about 10 inches of snow outside, only about 1,000 fans showed up to watch the Hornets pin Golden State, 114-102.
"We talked before the game about how it was going to be like playing at the YMCA and we'd have to do it for pride only," guard David Wesley said. "We told our own families not to come, so why would anyone else?"
Almost 8,000 tickets were sold, but the Hornets gave fans little incentive to brave the weather, announcing hours before the game that ticket holders not wanting to trudge through snow could turn in their stubs for passes to another game.
The result was completely empty sections in the 23,799-seat Charlotte Coliseum and the announcer inviting the few fans in the upper deck to move down to better seats, creating an intimate setting and the smallest crowd in franchise history in which fans could practically converse with the players.
"I had a great time, the fans who were here were loud and boisterous and with us the whole time," Davis said. "They came out in this weather to see us win and we gave it to them."
Almost everyone was still there with under a minute to play yelling as Davis went scrambling after a defensive rebound that gave him his third triple-double of his career.
Knicks 108, Mavericks 101, OT
New York Dallas might have extended its winning streak to 11 games if it had called timeout with four seconds left. Instead, the Mavs missed a midcourt shot at the end of regulation and allowed the Knicks to open overtime with a 7-0 run.
Dallas was trying to match the longest winning streak in franchise history and break a tie with the San Antonio Spurs for the longest winning streak in the NBA this season. But playing for a second consecutive night, this time against a Knicks team that hadn't been on the court since Christmas, the Mavs came up short.
Mark Jackson had a season-high 17 assists, including an alley-oop pass to Marcus Camby for a 105-98 lead with 30 seconds left in overtime, and Camby scored a season-high 26.
Dirk Nowitzki had 30 points and 16 rebounds, Steve Nash scored 19 and Greg Buckner had 17 points and eight assists for Dallas, which hadn't lost since Dec. 10 at Utah.
Rockets 99, Pistons 97
Houston In his first full game back from injury, Steve Francis tied his career high with 36 points, including a running jumper with .2 remaining that gave Houston the victory.
Kevin Willis scored 10 of his 12 points the final quarter as the Rockets beat the Pistons at home for the ninth straight time. Eddie Griffin added 19 points for Houston.
Jerry Stackhouse scored 29 points and Corliss Williamson added a season-high 25 for the Pistons, who have lost nine of their last 10.
Francis has been on the injured list with a ruptured tendon in his left foot and was making his first start since Nov. 25.
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