<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">OKLAHOMA CITY -- Lately, there hadn't been much to flap about for Hornets backup center Chris "Birdman" Andersen. But on Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons, the Birdman found himself in a refreshing situation -- doing his bird-wing hand symbol, which customarily follows a slam dunk. In the second quarter at the Ford Center, Andersen received a pass from Speedy Claxton and threw down a slam -- which, of course, led to the hand symbol. On the Hornets' next possession, Andersen made another dunk to give the Hornets a 34-30 lead. January has been kind to Andersen, who came off a lackluster December. After being benched against Charlotte on Jan. 2, he played 20, 21, and 10 minutes in the next three games. He entered the game against the Pistons averaging 17.7 minutes, 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He finished Tuesday night's game with four points and three rebounds. In November, Andersen battled back injuries and a bruised right knee and missed four games in December because of illness. Only twice in December did he play 20 or more minutes. Against the Central Division-leading Pistons, Andersen came off the bench seven minutes into the game, playing aggressive defense against the Pistons' frontcourt. "I've been happy with him. I think he's playing better than he did at the start of the season," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "I think his injuries are a lot better. But, he could play better." Andersen had bulked up in the offseason, but found that his extra weight was slowing him down. When Scott was asked if slimming down helped Andersen, he said, "I think losing weight, and I also think sitting on the bench for a few games also helped, too. Because he wasn't helping us. And I can't play you if you' can't help us. Sitting there watching a few games and watching other guys bust their butts got to his head a little bit that he had to come out here and do better for us to be successful." </div> Source
