Hornets notebook

Published: November 30, 2006

Hornets coach Byron Scott said he spoke with his team at Wednesday's light practice session. He told them that he hasn't lost faith in the team despite its current four-game losing streak.

Scott said he advised the players to stick together through the existing adversity, continue to play hard and avoid pointing fingers at one another.

"The one thing I told them was that the positive was that we had an 8-7 month in November, which was supposed to be a real tough month for us," Scott said. "It's the same type of schedule in December, so it's a positive that we have a winning record."

And of course there are tons of negatives right now.

"The negative is that we're not playing well," Scott said. "But we're all in this together. Adversity always brings out the best or worst in guys, and I want to find out what it's going to bring out in our team."

The Hornets have been without injured power forward David West (right elbow) for the past eight games, and Peja Stojakovic (back) has missed the past two games. Both will not play Friday night against the Chicago Bulls. During the four-game losing streak, the Hornets are averaging just 78 points on 37.8 percent shooting.

"We'll find out how tough we are in the next five games," forward Desmond Mason said. "When teams get down and lose some games and go on a little losing streak, you find out their character."

• Jackson questionable: Guard Bobby Jackson is questionable for Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls with bruised left ribs.

Jackson likely injured his ribs in the first half of Tuesday night's 94-77 loss to the Toronto Raptors when he drove to the basket. He was fouled on the play and grimaced as he walked to the free throw line holding his side.

Jackson, the team's fourth-leading scorer at 11.4 points per game, finished Tuesday's game with a season-low four points on 1-of-6 shooting, his worst performance this season.

• Stojakovic M.I.A.: Peja Stojakovic did not attend the team's light practice session Wednesday, team officials said.

Stojakovic, who also did not attend Tuesday night's game because of a back injury, will not play Friday against the Chicago Bulls as he continues to recover.

• Read to Achieve appearance postponed: Forward Linton Johnson's appearance at Horace Mann Elementary School, which was originally scheduled for today, has been moved to Monday at 2:15 p.m. because of weather conditions.

• Unbeaten no more: The Hornets' loss to the Raptors on Tuesday was the team's first defeat by an Eastern Conference team this season, dropping them to 5-1 against East teams. The Raptors entered the game 0-7 on the road this season and hadn't won on the road since March of last year.

• Yee-haw: Desmond Mason had his teammates asking him just what they're teaching down in Stillwater.

The former Oklahoma State standout somehow wound up with a lasso in his hands after Wednesday practice at Southern Nazarene's Sawyer Center and decided to show off his rope 'em skills. Mason used a folding chair as a target and several times wrapped the lasso around the chair.

When guard Bobby Jackson emerged from the locker room and noticed Mason, all he could say was, "Y'all some country (folks)."

• Put me in coach: Brandon Bass continues to plead with coach Scott for playing time, something that Bass routinely did last season in his rookie year.

Bass' logic on Wednesday?

"We're 3-0 when I start."

By Darnell Mayberry