SAN FRANCISCO _ Panic doesn't suit Dwayne Bacon, whether you're talking about him or his team.
He read the cataclysmic predictions about the Charlotte Hornets' season, and was amused. He wasn't delusional about the challenges the Hornets face, following All-Star Kemba Walker's departure, but this was overkill.
"I was looking online before the season even started, and guys had us 0-18! Breaking records of the (Brooklyn) Nets" for worst start in NBA history, Bacon said.
"At the end of the day, we know what we can do."
So far, anyway, that's brought tangible results. Bacon, a shooting guard, scored a career-high 25 points in the Hornets' 93-87 road victory over the Golden State Warriors. The Hornets flew home from California 3-3. Did anyone see them close to .500 after an early-season West Coast trip?
The Hornets have beaten the Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings and injury-ravaged Warriors, all seemingly destined to miss the playoffs. They showed some pluck in losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. They were blown out at home by the Wolves, but none of those performances were flat-out embarrassments.
Bacon is right; most of the predictions weren't just of losses, but humiliation. It's a small sample, but they've exceeded any reasonable expectation so far. They've survived mostly on 3-point shooting, but Saturday they closed out with solid defense, particularly from rookie Cody Martin, in holding the Warriors to 16 fourth-quarter points.
