“ It was a great evening for our team. » The euphemism, Peja Stojakovic knows how to do it. On November 6, 2007, the Hornets, then based in New Orleans, continued their great start to the season with a fourth victory in a row, on the Lakers' floor (104-118).
An evening marked by a double franchise record. The Serbian shooter has just scored ten award-winning baskets (36 points with 10/13 from distance), and erased the previous record of David Wesley (8 award-winning shots in 2002), in a league which has not yet made its revolution behind the arc. He's not the only one to set a career record that night.
Chris Paul fueled him throughout the evening to get closer to an exceptional double-double for a playmaker: 19 points (7/18 on shots) and 21 assists. The previous franchise record was held by Muggsy Bogues with 19 assists in 1989.
Then only 22 years old, the man who is about to win his first title as best passer in the league (11.6 assists per game, his best career average) will have to wait a few years before signing a match with 20 points and 20 assists. . It will be in 2016 with the Clippers facing another team from… New Orleans, the Pelicans.
“ The way we played offensively tonight, with Chris Paul moving the ball and spacing the floor, it looked easy. […] They had to help Chris pick-and-roll with David (West) and Tyson (Chandler), and I found myself open. The guys were looking for me, especially Chris “, thanks Peja Stojakovicfollowing his performance in November 2007.
“ The way he shot tonight was incredible. You have to give him the ball in these cases. When you have shooters like him and Tyson cutting to the rim, it makes my job a lot easier. », greets “CP3”, only in its third season in the league.
Author of 28 points opposite, Kobe Bryant, supported by Ronny Turiaf that evening (15 points and 7 rebounds), is already talking about a “ fantasy player “. “ It's really something », Says the Lakers superstar about the young leader of the Hornets.
That year, Lakers and Hornets would struggle throughout the season and finish in the first two places in the West, respectively with 57 and 56 victories. The Californians will go all the way to the NBA final, facing the champion Celtics, while the young and promising Hornets will be stopped in the conference semi-final by the Spurs.
Article originally published in 2022
