Muggsy wastes little time; he's already fans' favorite

BY MATT STEINMETZ
TIMES STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND -- Muggsy Bogues might have fallen out of favor with Charlotte management, but he never fell out of favor with Hornets fans.

And now Warriors fans know why.

Bogues checked into Saturday's home opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the new Coliseum Arena on Saturday night with 2:33 remaining in the first quarter and immediately interjected life and enthusiasm into the Warriors' team and arena.

It didn't matter that he turned the ball over the first time he handled it; what did matter was that he came in when the Warriors were down 26-18 and when he left, the Warriors had cut the deficit to just 34-32.

And it mattered the way he did it.

His hustle and energy were infectious, and for the first time this season the Warriors seemed to respond and play with a sense of purpose.

At the Hornets' home opener last weekend, Charlotte fans chanted, "Muggsy, Muggsy, Muggsy," trying to implore coach Dave Cowens to put in the 5-foot-3 Bogues, the smallest man ever to play in the NBA. The chant didn't work that night, but on Saturday in Oakland, no such chant was necessary because Bogues made his Golden State debut late in the first quarter.

And yet, spontaneously, Warriors fans began chanting "Muggsy" late in the second quarter as the Warriors fell behind by double-digits because they wanted an encore. And why not? By the time the half ended, the Warriors had fallen behind by 17 points. That's a differential of minus-15 with Bogues out in the second quarter.

"He probably pushes the ball from foul line to foul line as well as anyone in the league," Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo said before the game. "What's not to like about him? He's one of the better point guards in the league."

He's one of the bigger fan favorites, too. Which is one of the many things the Warriors need.

Edition: WCT,  Section: B,  Page: 1