Court Vision: Hornets keep playoff hopes alive by beating Sixers
The Hornets needed a late bucket to beat the Sixers on Saturday, 92-91, and stay in the race for the final playoff spot in the East.
1. CHARLOTTE STAYS ALIVE FOR PLAYOFFS
When Charlotte guard Gerald Henderson made a driving layup with just six seconds left to give the Hornets the lead and eventual win over Philadelphia on Saturday night, it may have been the shot that will go down as the season-saver for the team.
Not only did he keep Charlotte's slim playoff chances alive with only six games remaining, but he helped the Hornets gain ground on other teams that sit in front of them.
Detroit beat eighth-place Miami by one point, while ninth-place Boston beat Toronto by one point and Atlanta blew out Brooklyn.
After Saturday's games, Charlotte remains in 11th, but now stands a game and a half behind Boston for the final playoff spot. It's a game behind Miami, and is tied with Indiana, though the Pacers have the tiebreaker.
"I'm happy for the win," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "It gives us a chance to play another meaningful game on Tuesday."
The team knows just how important each game is and how there's little room for error.
"Winning is everything," Henderson said. "I want to win and I want to get to the playoffs."
Charlotte plays at Miami on Tuesday and it's safe to say that a loss against the Heat will likely doom the Hornets season.
2. THREE STARTERS OUT FOR HORNETS
The way things are going for the Hornets, one has to wonder if they will have enough to field a team by season's end.
With starters Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller having missed the last few weeks due to injuries, center Al Jefferson joined them on the bench for the Philadelphia game.
Jefferson has had extreme swelling on the knee and as a result has had it drained three times over the last 10 days. The soreness allowed him to play only 12 minutes Friday at Indiana.
Clifford said he's unsure if Jefferson will be shut down for the remainder of the season.
"I think what (the doctors) are trying to do is gauge what rest will do (for him)," he said. "Today will be 10 (games) in 16 (days), so he hasn't had a chance to get days off in between games. With (Saturday), tomorrow and Monday (off), maybe he'll feel better. Maybe he won't, but at least this will give him a chance to get some rest."
Of course, should the Hornets lose a few more games and put themselves outside of the playoffs, there seems to be little reason to bring him back.
The same can be said for Kidd-Gilchrist
"He still has some pretty significant swelling (in his left ankle)," Clifford said. "He is not close. I don't see him playing (Tuesday or Wednesday)."
3. VONLEH GETS SIGNIFICANT PLAYING TIME
For one of the very few times this season, rookie power forward Noah Vonleh saw more than 10 minutes of playing time. In fact, it was just the fifth time all season he's logged at least 10 minutes of action.
Vonleh finished with 14:12 of playing time, going 3-of-6 from the field for six points, while grabbing six rebounds. He also added a steal and an assist.
Clifford liked what he saw out of the rookie.
"Even when goes in for three minutes, the one thing that stands out when you're watching the film is he has juice," he said. "He doesn't do anything half speed. I think that's one of the things that will give him a chance. He's tough, he's coachable and he does everything all out."
For his part, Vonleh, who was taken ninth overall in last year's draft, said while the season has been difficult, he's just trying to improve his game on a daily basis and be ready for when Clifford calls upon him.
"I was comfortable from the beginning (of the game)," Vonleh said. "Rebounding really gets me going."
77 -- The number of games missed by Hornets starters this season.
1 -- The number of made 3-pointers out of 13 attempts Charlotte made.
Follow Brett Jensen on Twitter @Brett_Jensen
