Morrison Provides A Shot Of Excitement

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The shot everyone will remember from the Charlotte Bobcats' season-opening loss to Indiana Wednesday night happened not in the fourth quarter, but in the first.

It came at the first-quarter buzzer, from 41 feet. Adam Morrison launched the basketball over an Indiana defender with an arc high enough to do an NFL punt proud.

This was a shot that could have hit a blimp. On some nights, the moon looks lower than this shot did.

When it came down, swooping through the net, it didn't win anything. But if you're the Bobcats, you take victories where you can find them when you are again one of the worst teams in the NBA. Morrison's shot -- and his 14-point performance in his first real game as a rookie -- was a small victory, although Indiana ultimately won this game 106-99.

Morrison didn't start, but made a fine entrance with 5 minutes, 51 seconds left in the first quarter, taking a shot within his first 20 seconds of real NBA action.

That's why the Bobcats made him the No. 3 overall pick of the NBA draft this summer. When Morrison is hot, he's far more than a moustache. He's instant offense on a team that has needed more offense.

He made that first shot, going up and under a defender to hit an 11-footer in traffic.

"I felt good at the start and got a little rhythm going," Morrison said.

A couple of minutes later, he grabbed a rebound, then tried to drive and quickly got stripped of the ball. On the other end, he committed a foul -- it would be the first of several defensive mistakes from the rookie.</div>

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