That other team

Not much news on the Sonics’ front of late. So I figured it’d be nice to pass along some info on OKC’s first love — the Hornets.

For those who don’t know by now, the Bees are coming to the Ford Center for their first preseason game on Oct. 9 against the Houston Rockets. Game time is 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. That’s Saturday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. You can purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com or by calling the Ford Center box office at 405-235-8288. According to Ticketmaster’s Web site, tickets start at $10 and go all the way up to $1,300.

The game should be entertaining even though it’s a preseason game. I hear Peja Stojakovic is healthy now and should be ready to go. It’ll be fun getting to see him shoot the ball. Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler have both recovered from foot injuries and should play. And of course the Rockets have Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. I have no idea whether or not either will play but I’ll keep an ear out. And even if the starters play just 20 minutes, the Hornets and Rockets both have young guys who are entertaining.

Remember, the Hornets drafted Kansas’ Julian Wright, who will probably play heavy minutes. Young bigs Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons should both log a good amount of minutes as well. Former OSU guard John Lucas III is also still on the Rockets’ roster, although he might not be come Oct. 9. Oregon’s Aaron Brooks, a Lucas clone, is tons of fun to watch, too. All good reasons to come out and support the Hornets one last time.

- Darnell Mayberry