Schedule and 2004 Results
Regular Season Records: Miami 42-40, New Orleans 41-41
Game 1 on Sunday, 18 Apr: New Orleans loses at Miami, 81-pts-79
Game 2 on Wednesday, 21 Apr: New Orleans loses at Miami, 93-pts-63
Game 3 on Saturday, 24 Apr: Miami loses at New Orleans, 77-pts-71
Game 4 on Tuesday, 27 Apr: Miami loses at New Orleans, 96-pts-85
Game 5 on Friday, 30 Apr: New Orleans loses at Miami, 87-pts-83
Game 6 on Sunday, 02 May: Miami loses at New Orleans, 89-pts-83
Game 7 on Tuesday, 04 May: New Orleans loses at Miami, 85-pts-77

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 924 becomes the first best-of-7 NBA Preliminary-round playoff series, the 18th best-of-7 NBA playoff series (all rounds), and the 29th best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series (all rounds) in which the home team won each game. In series 924 Game 7, the Miami Heat hosted and defeated the New Orleans Hornets 85-pts-77 to win series 924, 4-games-3. With the series 924 victory, the Miami Heat improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 2-2 (all rounds) and 1-0 (Preliminary round). With the series 924 loss, the New Orleans Hornets see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 0-2 (all rounds) and 0-2 (Preliminary round). The New Orleans Hornets and their predecessor franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, are now a combined 0-6 in best-of-7 NBA playoff series. The win order in series 924 was WWLLWLW. Series 924 thus becomes the first NBA Preliminary round series, the 15th NBA playoff series (all rounds), and the 24th MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series (all rounds) to show a WWLLWLW win order.

After Game 6: The New Orleans Hornets hosted and defeated the Miami Heat 89-pts-83 in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 924 Game 6, thus tying series 924 at 3-games-all and forcing a Game 7 in Miami. In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, teams such as Miami which win Games 1-2 at home, lose Games 3-4 on the road, win Game 5 at home, and lose Game 6 on the road are riding a current Game 7/series-winning streak of 13 series. Series 924 is the first NBA playoff series for the New Orleans Hornets to last the full seven games. The Miami Heat have a 1-1 Game 7 record in the NBA playoffs. The precursor organization to the New Orleans Hornets - the old Charlotte Hornets - was 0-1 in Game 7 NBA playoff action. Irrespective of win order and of site order: In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff history through the 2004 NHL playoffs (913 series), home teams in Game 7 (all rounds) had a 165-78 (.679) series record; in best-of-7 NBA playoff history (all rounds), home teams in Game 7 had a 70-15 (.824) series record (one of the 15 losers was the Miami Heat, in series 814 against the New York Knickerbockers in the 2000 NBA Quarterfinals round); in best-of-7 NBA Preliminary-round playoff history (extending all the way back through 2003), home teams in Game 7 had a 2-0 (1.000) series record.

After Game 5: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 924 back in south Florida for Game 5, the Miami Heat surmounted a ten-point deficit after one quarter to defeat the New Orleans Hornets 87-pts-83, thereby taking a 3-games-2 series 924 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Miami Heat have a 0-1 series record and a Game 6 record of 0-1. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the New Orleans Hornets have a 0-1 series record and a Game 6 record of 0-1. Between these two teams in series 924, something thus has to give.

After Game 4: Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 924 was knotted at 2-games-all when the New Orleans Hornets, on their home court, defeated the Miami Heat 96-pts-85 in series 924 Game 4. Series 924 thus becomes the only 2004 NBA Preliminary-round playoff series to be tied 2-games-all after the first four games. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Miami Heat have a 0-1 overall series record and a 1-0 Game 5 record (in series 814, against the New York Knickerbockers in the 2000 NBA Quarterfinals round). The New Orleans Hornets are tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the first time.

After Game 3: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 924 now in Louisiana for Games 3-4, the New Orleans Hornets on their home court defeated the visiting Miami Heat 77-pts-71. Miami now holds a 2-games-1 lead in series 924. When leading a best-of-7 series 2-games-1, the Miami Heat have a 0-1 overall series record and a 0-1 Game 4 record (from the 2000 NBA Quarterfinals vs. the New York Knickerbockers in series 814); when down 2-games-1, the New Orleans Hornets have a 0-1 overall series record and a 0-1 Game 4 record (from the 2003 NBA Preliminary round vs. the Philadelphia 76ers in series 891).

After Game 2: The Miami Heat once again hosted and defeated the New Orleans Hornets, this time by a tally of 93-pts-63 in series 924 Game 2. Miami now leads best-of-7 series 924, 2-games-nil. The Miami Heat is leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil for the first time. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the New Orleans Hornets have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 3 record of 1-0.

After Game 1: The Miami Heat hosted and defeated the New Orleans Hornets 81-pts-79 to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 playoff series 924. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Miami Heat have a 0-1 overall series record and a 0-1 Game 2 record; when down 1-game-nil, the New Orleans Hornets have a 0-1 overall series record and a 0-1 Game 2 record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2003-04 regular season, Miami finished one game ahead of New Orleans. From 1947 through 2003, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by one regular-season game, they have posted a 13-12 (.520) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 924 is the second best-of-7 playoff series for the Hornets in New Orleans, and the fourth for Miami. In best-of-7 playoff series, New Orleans has a 0-1 series record, a 0-1 Prelim-round series record, and a 0-1 Game 1 record, while Miami has a 1-2 series record, a 0-0 Prelim-round record, and a 1-2 Game 1 record. Series 924 is the first best-of-7 meeting between New Orleans and Miami.