As one of the youngest teams in the league, the Bobcats usually outlast the opposition in overtime, but this time it was their turn to be worn out by the Hornets.
16 points, 7 rebounds, 20 assists, 2 steals, and Paul made the news dancing in the locker room, shaking his hips.
The day after the Hornets game, the free agent Sagana Diop, who the Bobcats signed temporarily, finally arrived.
The Bobcats hadn't signed a 15th man during the offseason and training camp to guard against injuries, and now they needed him.
Diop was once a high school prodigy, a lottery pick in the strong center class of 2001, with a standout draft profile — 7'0" and 282 pounds, capable of holding his own against O'Neal. In his first NBA year, his weight quickly shot up to 300 pounds, making him one of the toughest pure low-post, one-on-one defenders at the time.
