There isn't one member of the Phoenix Suns who would tell you that the officiating was the reason that they dropped their home opener to the New Orleans Hornets. And it wasn't. Phoenix started off in a mentally sluggish state, turning the ball over and missing shots, while New Orleans hit on their first six shot attempts, and jumped out to an immediate 14-2 lead. The Hornets took control from the opening tip and hit some big shots down the stretch to make sure the Suns didn't come all the way back. But the officiating, especially in the second quarter, was so brutal that it merits its own discussion. The officials didn't start off unfairly making calls against the Suns; early on, Phoenix was simply committing a lot of fouls. The Suns were called for five team fouls in the first two minutes of the period, but a couple of those were iffy at best, and the team (along with the fans) were starting to get restless. Melvin Ely of the Hornets was subsequently called for traveling when all he did was pivot. This was a blatant (albeit brief) attempt by the officials to try to even things out with a make-up call, but the attempt at fairness would be very short-lived.
