Charlotte fans are getting a quick peek at what could be the roller coaster ride the play-offs will be for their Bobcats. For the second game in a row, the ‘Cats let a huge margin evaporate (26 points tonight) and had a tough fight on their hands to win the game. Tonight saw the Bobcats go through a 35 point swing, 26 points up to 9 points down, and have to fight back to get a win against a determined Hornets team. There were lots of first for the Bobcats tonight. They clinched their first ever play-off berth. They won for the first time on the Hornets home court. Tyson Chandler also has the most points, 16, as a Bobcat. Chandler added 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots to go with his 16 points. Lastly, the ‘Cats assured themselves of their first winning season in franchise history with tonight’s win. Stephen Jackson led all Charlotte scorers with 29 points. But the biggest offensive player for the ‘Cats was arguably DJ Augustine. The Hornets bench outscored DJ by one point, 15-14, as DJ connected on 4 of 5 three-point attempts and hit 5 of 7 shots from the field. When the ‘Cats struggled offensively tonight, it seemed as if DJ was there for every bail-out point his team needed. Raymond Felton hit two free throws as the game was ending and they were the difference, since the Hornets hit a three-point shot as time ended!

In one game summary a few weeks back I wrote that there would not be any “easy wins” for the Bobcats and there really have not been. The teams staying home for the play-offs still have something to prove, so it’s a fight every night. Tonight the Bobcats not only gained a win but character, after letting New Orleans overcome a huge point margin. The ‘Cats will need all the character they can find when the play-offs start. If the season had ended tonight the Bobcats would be paired against the second-best Eastern Conference team, the Orlando Magic. But the ‘Cats still have four games left in the season and trail both the Heat and the Bucks by two games, so the final standings could change.

The Good:

Tyson Chandler with a double-double and 5 blocked shots.

Stephen Jackson with 29 points.

First half ball distribution.

Free throw shooting (87.5%)

DJ Augustine with a clutch game.

The Bad:

Second half defense.

Poor ball distribution in the second half.

Larry Hughes only has four more regular season games to find his shooting touch.

The Ugly:

35 point swing from the ‘Cats to the Hornets.

Turn overs (22).

Lazy passes.

Next game for the Bobcats: Friday 4/9/10 8:30pm at the Houston Rockets