hn Pennamon will likely have bigger-than-expected roles in the back

NEW ORLEANS -- The Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans will be on the back end of games on consecutive nights when they meet Saturday in the Smoothie King Center.And both are feeling pretty good after the way the front ends went Friday night. The Hornets (8-3) overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to end the Atlanta Hawks six-game win streak with a 100-96 home victory.At the same time the Pelicans (3-10) were welcoming back Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday in a 113-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Smoothie King Center.The back to backs tell a lot about how much you want to win, Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. Thats what the good teams do. You cant run from it.Charlotte didnt back down when Atlantas Dwight Howard threw an elbow at the head of Hornets center Cody Zeller and was ejected with 5:38 left in Fridays game. The Hawks led by three when Howard was called for the Flagrant-2 foul.The Hornets scored the next nine points, including seven by Kemba Walker, to take control.Zeller, a fourth-year forward, finished with 23 points, making 9 of 10 shots from the field.He gets better every year. He gets better every day, Walker said of Zeller. Skill-wise he gets better and he gets better with his confidence. He works hard each and every day to improve his game. It shows every night.Fridays game started a stretch in which the Hornets play 18 games in 32 days. They wont have consecutive days off until Dec. 17-18.This is a good way to start this stretch, Clifford said. If were a good team, the kind of team that we need to be, then weve got to find a way to play a good game on the road and get a win.Getting wins against the Pelicans has been easy for most teams this season, but the Hornets havent won in New Orleans in their previous three seasons under Clifford.New Orleans entered Fridays game with the worst record in the NBA, but Davis had 38 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Holiday had 21 points and seven assists off the bench as the Pelicans won their second consecutive home game.Their record is misleading, Clifford said. When you look at them play they have had a lot of injuries and theyve lost a lot of close games.Davis returned from a one-game absence with a bruised quad and Holiday made his season debut after being away from the team to be with his wife Lauren as she gave birth to the couples first child and underwent brain surgery.I think I did pretty well, Holiday said of his debut in which he had 10 points and four assists in the fourth quarter. It was really just the initial hit of being out there and in the first four minutes or whatever when I need to get a feel for the game. From there, I just felt more comfortable toward the end of the game.Holiday played 21 minutes and coach Alvin Gentry said he plans to gradually increase Holidays minutes but doesnt have a timetable for when his point guard will return to the starting lineup.Its tough for anyone to sit out all of training camp and all of the preseason and also the first 12 games of the season, Gentry said. Its going to be a little bit of an adjustment period for him. Air Force 1 Mid Utility .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Air Force 1 Alte Summaeverythang . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. http://www.airforce1outletitalia.it/scontate-air-force-1-alte-marble-pack.html . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats. Air Force 1 Alte Hand Wash Cold . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Air Force 1 Alte 2020 . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. OXFORD, Miss. -- Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze says beating Alabama isnt just about having a great plan or possessing physical talent.The coach said players have to believe they can win the game. And when it comes to that, the Rebels should be just fine.No. 19 Mississippi (1-1) will be a substantial underdog when it hosts No. 1 Alabama (2-0) on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. But the Rebels have one advantage -- they have a two-game winning streak in the series.You have to believe that you can and our kids do, Freeze said. We believe that we can play with anyone in the country. That doesnt mean we can beat them on any given day, but we do believe we have gotten to a point where we can step on a field and compete with them.Ole Miss will lean on senior quarterback Chad Kelly, who threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns in the Rebels 43-37 over the Tide in Tuscaloosa last season.Kelly leads the SEC with seven passing touchdowns so far this season.Alabama coach Nick Saban knows Ole Miss will try to create opportunities downfield and his defense must be ready.When we have struggled in the past we have given up explosive plays, which is something that their offense is constantly trying to create, Saban said.Alabamas defense certainly seems capable of shutting down the Rebels. Theyve had two impressive games so far this season and have given up just 16 points over two games.The Tides secondary, including cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick, say theyre prepared.Were going to go out there, play hard, play physical, fast and just try to get the win and make up for the last two years, Fitzpatrick said.---Some other things to watch when Alabama and Ole Miss meet on Saturday:RARE SUCCESS: Ole Miss has beaten Alabama twice in a row heading into Saturdays matchup, which is the only time thats happened in a series that dates back to 1894. Alabama has a 47-11-2 record in the series. The Rebels have had a little more success in game in Oxford, though, winning 4 of 11, inclluding the 2014 matchup.ddddddddddddRED ZONE SUCCESS: Ole Miss has scored in 10 out of 10 opportunities in the red zone this season -- all of them touchdowns. But the Rebels will be playing on Saturday without D.K. Metcalf, who had emerged as one of the teams best targets in the end zone. Metcalf, a 6-foot-4 freshman, caught a touchdown pass in both the Florida State and Wofford games, but a broken bone in his left foot has him on the sidelines indefinitely.DEALING WITH INJURIES: Metcalfs injury hasnt been the only setback for Ole Miss this season. The Rebels lost starting cornerback Kendarius Webster and running back Eric Swinney to season-ending knee injuries during the Florida State game. Ole Miss needs freshmen like Jaylen Jones and Jalen Julius to step up in the secondary while senior Akeem Judd, junior Eugene Brazley and freshman DVaughn Pennamon will likely have bigger-than-expected roles in the backfield.HURTS ON THE ROAD: Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts will be playing his first true road game on Saturday, but Tide coach Nick Saban is confident he can handle it. Said Saban: Its going to be a work in progress, but the thing that I like about him is that he doesnt get frustrated. He doesnt get all discombobulated. He has a lot of poise. I think he has a lot of inner confidence. He believes that he can do it. Its important to him.TRIPLE THREAT: Hurts has plenty of experienced targets in the passing game, led by receivers Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart and tight end O.J. Howard. Stewart has emerged as the big-play threat so far this season with nine catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Ridley has caught a team-high 11 balls for 138 yards and a touchdown while Howard has caught five passes for 68 yards.---Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP and on the AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org . ' ' '