Silas Goes Ballistic After Hornets Stung

After blowing another huge second-half lead, Charlotte Coach Paul Silas ripped into his team, questioning everything from the Hornets’ heart to their leadership and toughness.

The Hornets blew a 20-point lead and allowed Jason Kidd to score 25 of his 29 points in the second half to rally the Phoenix Suns to a 103-94 victory Wednesday night at Charlotte, N.C.

The seventh-place Suns also moved within a half-game of the sixth-place Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference standings.

The collapse was the second in three home games for the Hornets, who blew a 21-point lead in a 103-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

“They came out and picked it up and we just fell over, just rolled over and died,” Silas said. “We just quit running. Nobody was at the level of the basketball and that’s a thing that you do from grade school--get to the level of the basketball. It’s ridiculous, it was an embarrassment”

Asked why he thought the Hornets can’t close teams out, Silas almost lost it.

“Cause we’re soft as tissue paper!” he screamed. “Guys pick it up and we run and hide. Guys have got to grow up. Right now, I don’t have guys that are very tough, that’s just the way it is.”

Minnesota 83, Portland 79--Felipe Lopez made a game-winning three-point basket with 50 seconds left at Minneapolis as the Timberwolves defeated the reeling Trail Blazers for the second time in four days.

The loss was the third in the row for the Trail Blazers, who also lost to the Timberwolves on Sunday.

Kevin Garnett led Minnesota with 18 points and 18 rebounds. Rasheed Wallace, returning from a one-game team suspension for detrimental conduct, and Steve Smith scored 13 points apiece for Portland.

Philadelphia 90, Detroit 84--Dikembe Mutombo had 21 points and 16 rebounds at Auburn Hills, Mich., to help the 76ers end a five-game road losing streak.

The 76ers were without NBA scoring leader Allen Iverson (bruised tailbone). Tyrone Hill (back sprain) and Aaron McKie (sprained knee) also missed the game.

Detroit’s Jerry Stackhouse, the NBA’s second-leading scorer, had 14 points on five-for-19 shooting before being ejected with 16 minutes left. Stackhouse was coming off a 57-point game on Tuesday night.

Orlando 108, Boston 101--Tracy McGrady had 34 points and a career-high 11 assists as the Magic clinched a playoff berth at Orlando.

The loss dropped Boston a half-game behind idle Indiana in the race for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Magic point guard Darrell Armstrong’s streak of consecutive games ended at a team-record 206 because of a groin injury.

Miami 86, Washington 84--Alonzo Mourning had season-highs of 16 points and eight rebounds at Washington as the Heat moved into a tie with idle New York for third place in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee 108, Golden State 78--Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson scored 26 points apiece at Oakland as the Bucks moved within two games of clinching their first Central Division title in 15 years.

Toronto 97, Cleveland 94--Vince Carter had 32 points to help the visiting Raptors clinch a playoff berth.