NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- It took one game for the New Orleans Hornets to get a feel for Darrell Armstrong's endless energy.
In an outstanding all-around game, Armstrong made a clutch steal, basket and free throws in overtime, lifting the Hornets to an 88-83 victory over the mistake-prone Atlanta Hawks.
"He just has a tremendous will and tremendous energy, and your team feeds off of that," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said. "I thought the whole defense picked up the minutes that he was on the floor. He's someone who's not afraid to take big shots, and he's equally important in our locker room. He won't let those guys just die on the vine. He's always talking, he's always energetic. He's going to win us a bunch of games this year."
"To be honest with you, I woke up (the past) two nights in a row at 3 o'clock in the morning and stayed up the rest of the day, because I was just so excited about the season," Armstrong said. "Now I think I'll get to sleep."
The heart and soul of the Orlando Magic for nine years, Armstrong was not re-signed during the offseason. The energetic 6-1 guard was scooped up by the Hornets, who wanted to add some depth to their backcourt.
Now 35 years old, Armstrong was expected to play reserve minutes behind Baron Davis and David Wesley. But when Courtney Alexander suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the preseason, the one-time yarn factory worker knew he would have a larger load.
Playing 31 minutes, Armstrong made just 6-of-19 shots, including 2-of-12 from 3-point range. But both of those came in the last four minutes of regulation, when New Orleans erased a six-point deficit.
"This is the sign of a good team," Armstrong said. "We kept playing through what was going on."
In overtime, Atlanta was nursing an 81-80 lead when Armstrong made a backcourt steal and threw a lob that George Lynch dunked with 1:36 remaining. Just 20 seconds later, Armstrong beat Jason Terry downcourt for a layup and an 84-81 advantage.
"That's what he does," Hawks coach Terry Stotts said. "I mean, he's one of the best in the league at it. He did it down in Orlando for years. He changes the tempo of the game. You feel his presence in the game when he's in there. When we left him open, he made big shots. He made defensive plays. He was a good addition to their team."
"There are a few guys who will will this team to win," Hornets forward P.J. Brown said. "Darrell is that type of player."
A spinning banker by Shareef Abdur-Rahim and a miss by Davis gave the Hawks a chance to take the lead. But the Hornets stripped Abdur-Rahim, and Armstrong ended up with the loose ball.
Armstrong's free throws made it 86-83 with 16 seconds left, and Wesley scored off another backcourt steal to seal the Hornets' fifth straight season-opening win.
Armstrong had eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. His full-court pressure was a big factor in Atlanta's 27 turnovers. In the third quarter, New Orleans got back in the game by forcing 13 turnovers and allowing just 12 points.
"We were just trying to get the ball out of Jason Terry's hands," Armstrong said. "He's a guy who likes to dominate the ball. I kept having a hard time, once he gave it up, keeping it out of his hands. We had guys to step up and help me out with him." "I don't know if that's a record," wondered Stotts, whose club tied a team mark for giveaways in a period. Atlanta also made 13 in a quarter against Philadelphia on December 14, 1979.
The sloppiness saw the Hawks allow a 40-33 halftime lead to turn into a 58-52 deficit entering the fourth quarter. But three 3-pointers by Stephen Jackson shot Atlanta back into the lead, and a pull-up jumper by Terry made it 71-65 with 5:18 to go.
Armstrong again came alive, fueling a 10-2 surge with two 3-pointers and an argument with Jackson that saw both players receive technical fouls. But Jackson tied it, 75-75, with a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left and Armstrong missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
"He's just a hard worker, and the intensity he brings to the game - that's what he does," Abdur-Rahim said. "That's what's kept him in this league for so long."
The Hornets also got a big lift from George Lynch, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds and helped cover for some awful shooting. New Orleans shot just 32 percent (35-of-108), with Davis making just 6-of-26 shots.
Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Jackson scored 21 points but committed seven turnovers in his debut with the Hawks. Terry had 15 points, Dion Glover added 14 and Abdur-Rahim 10 with 16 rebounds.
