Vlade Divac Helps Hornets Get Past Kings

Wait...Vlade Divac? Didn't he play for the Lakers? Isn't he retired?

What is going on with this sports writer?

In a post-game interview with New Orleans Cox Sports Network cable announcer Jordy Hultberg, Hornets forward David West said:

"Thank God I was able to continue. And thanks to Vlade for having his number retired. The extra fifteen minutes of treatment at half-time allowed me to play."

For those of you old enough to remember, in the summer of 1996, the then-Charlotte Hornets traded their first-round pick, a raw high school kid named Kobe Bryant, to the Lakers for Divac.

After eight seasons with the Lakers, Divac played two for the Hornets and six for the Kings before retiring with the Lakers in his final season, 2004-05. According to AP writer Greg Beacham, speaking of Vlade's time with the Kings:

"Divac was the emotional leader and most popular player on the best teams in the franchise's history, including the Kings' back-to-back Pacific Division champions and the 2002 Western Conference finalists. He is the second-leading rebounder in the franchise's Sacramento history, and he endeared himself to California's capital city with extensive charity work."

One must take off their hat to the Hornets All-Star forward. West scored a game-high 40 points and also had nine rebounds and six assists as he limped through half of the game.

West severely twisted his foot on a move near the top of the key late in the second quarter, but he stayed in the game and played through the pain. 

The winning basket for New Orleans came from Rasual Butler, who sank a long three-pointer as time expired.

With 37 seconds remaining and the score tied at 108, Chris Paul stole the ball from Sacramento's Andres Nocioni, who had been keeping the Kings in the game with five-of-six shooting from behind the arc.

Paul flew down the court for a layup, but Francisco Garcia came charging from behind for the block.

After Nocioni got his own rebound off a missed layup, Beno Udrih sunk a long jumper with less than two seconds on the clock to put the Kings ahead, 110-108.

Following a timeout, on a play designed with Paul as a decoy, Butler came off a screen before taking the inbound pass. Rasual drained a long-range bomb as time expired. The official reviewed the shot as required, and the earlier call was maintained: game over, Hornets get the W.

Butler ended up with 18 points, and Paul added 15, eight rebounds, and 15 assists.  Julian Wright continued to look strong, finishing with 14 points on seven-of-eight shooting from the floor.

In the losing effort, Nocioni lead the Kings with 23 points and six rebounds. Kevin Martin scored 20, Spencer Hawes finished with 17, and Garcia had 19 points off the bench.

Next up for the Hornets are the L.A. Clippers. If before then West joins Tyson Chandler (ankle), Peja Stojakovic (back), and James Posey (elbow) on the injured list, count on forward Julian Wright to get some extended minutes. 

The Hornets are now in the sixth spot in the Western Conference Playoff race, a half- game behind Portland for fifth and a half-game ahead of Utah, the team in seventh. New Orleans is 1.5 games behind Houston and San Antonio for first in the Southwest Division.

If the Bees can improve their standing as the postseason nears, they may have Vlade Divac to thank.