Kobe Bryant, Lakers Eliminate Hornets With Game 6 Blowout

But after the Hornets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 in New Orleans on Thursday, Paul said he believes the franchise and its players are committed to winning. From John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

Paul is scheduled to be a free agent in 2012, and rumors will follow him until he signs an extension with the Hornets. CP3 will have a busy summer either way, as he’s the only All-Star who sits on the National Basketball Players Association’s executive committee as the union and league enter what are expected to be contentious labor negotiations.

But surprisingly, especially considering Paul’s dominance in the first five games of the series, the Lakers won Thursday night’s clincher in New Orleans with CP3 on the court. Two runs set L.A. apart in the game: a 14-4 run in the second quarter to give the champs a 40-31 lead, and a 12-2 run in the third to re-establish a 13-point lead. Paul was on the court for every second of those runs.

If the Lakers can keep Paul down for the second half, they’ll be moving on to the second round.

Check out our Lakers vs. Hornets hub for full series coverage. For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.

But that hasn’t been a given in this series, with the Hornets’ excellent defense making up for a remarkable size deficit. And we’ve learned (or re-learned, as it were) that through Chris Paul, all things are possible. That’s what maintains hope for the Hornets, and what must haunt the Lakers until the deed is finished.

Check out our Lakers vs. Hornets hub for full series coverage. For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.