David West Injury Opens Door for Houston Rockets

David West's injury from Thursday night could not only hurt the New Orleans Hornets but usher the Houston Rockets into the 2011 Western Conference Playoffs. West is definitely one of the best players the Hornets have, and losing him to an injury could be something that kills their hopes at making the postseason. Even if they do, if West has been lost, success in the first round might be something of a pipe dream. Now fans have to wait on the edge of their seats to find out the extent of West's injury.

West was injured after coming down hard during a dunk he made to tie Thursday's game at 103. That play was what allowed the Hornets to go into overtime and beat the Utah Jazz, but the cost may be too much for this team to overcome. The full extent of the injury isn't yet known, but his leg came down very awkwardly, and many analysts have guessed that it could be a tear. A tear would bring his season to an end.

With the win, the Hornets were able to hold onto the No. 7 spot in the West, improving their record for the season to 41-31. It also helped keep their three-game lead over the Houston Rockets, who are now No. 9 in the West.

Both Houston and New Orleans have 10 games to go, so it would be tough for the Rockets to make up the three-game deficit. The two teams play each other April 6, so Houston has a chance in that game, and then there is the fact that New Orleans has a really tough schedule to finish out the season.

The next three games for the Hornets are against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers. That's a stretch no team would like to see. Before the end of the year, the Hornets also have to play the Memphis Grizzlies two more times, and then end the year against the Dallas Mavericks.

West has been having another great year for the Hornets, averaging 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He had 29 points Thursday before he got hurt, and there have been several key games where he has scored in the 30s this year. It's more important to note that West is the leading scorer for a Hornets team that only scores 95.1 points per game. That is fifth worst in the NBA, and while it has to do with their slower style, losing more than 20 percent of their offense is not going to be easy to overcome.

What the Hornets and their fans have to be hoping is that the injury to West is not as serious as it looked. It didn't help that he was taken off the court in a wheel chair, but with a negative MRI, that could get West back on the court in time to make a difference in the stretch run. Stay tuned, because the Hornets' success this year could depend on a doctor's report.

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