Bobcats clinch playoff berth

It took six years, but the Charlotte Bobcats are finally in the playoffs. And they clinched their berth by defeating the former Charlotte Hornets, who now reside in New Orleans. (And, in an even stranger twist, Hornets owner George Shinn is thinking of selling his share of the New Orleans franchise.)

The 'Cats were up by 26 at one point in the third quarter. Somehow, they squandered it to trail by eight.

"Good teams don't let those things happen, but they also extracted themselves from what would have been a real mess when D.J. Augustin, who grew up in the Big Easy, made a huge 3-pointer with 15 seconds left," writes Rick Bonnell.

"This victory, combined with a loss by the Toronto Raptors, clinched the playoffs, since the eighth-place Raptors and ninth-place Chicago Bulls still have a game remaining. Since one has to lose, the Bobcats' 42-36 record gets them in."