WVUE Hornets Headlines

Thunder eases past injury-depleted Hornets 98-83

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:39:49 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 29 points, Russell Westbrook added 17 points and came up just shy of a triple-double, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the injury-depleted New Orleans Hornets 98-83 on Wednesday night.

The Hornets got off to a hot start in their latest return to the building they called home for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina, but it was short-lived with Peja Stojakovic joining All-Star point guard Chris Paul on the team's injured list.

Stojakovic is expected to miss at least two weeks with a lower abdominal strain.

Oklahoma City took the lead for good in the second quarter and never got much of a challenge in the second half as New Orleans shot 43 percent.

David West scored 33 for the Hornets, who recorded their highest total of the season two days earlier in a 135-131 shootout win against Golden State, but struggled to get anything going except when their power forward had the ball.

West hit his first six shots and was able to maneuver inside for baskets with regularity, but little else was working for New Orleans. By the time West was lifted with 7:41 to play and the Hornets down by 18, he had scored 33 of his team's 69 points.

Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton, the rookie tandem that kept the Hornets competitive despite Paul's absence following knee surgery last month, combined for 19 points on 7-for-27 shooting in the team's seventh loss in the last nine games.

Collison has scored in double figures in all but two of the 27 games he's started in place of Paul - both meetings against the Thunder. He also had his streak of seven straight games with at least 18 points and nine assists snapped. It was the longest string by a rookie since Oscar Robertson set an NBA record with eight in a row in 1960-61.

Oklahoma City had lost 10 in a row against New Orleans before winning the last two with Paul on the sidelines.

Westbrook also had nine assists and eight rebounds, and had those totals entering the fourth quarter. He didn't add to either in 4½ minutes of playing time before being pulled with the game out of hand. He has two career triple-doubles, one each of the past two seasons.

Reserve Serge Ibaka added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, and Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic scored 10 apiece.

Thornton had 11 points and Julian Wright, staring in place of Stojakovic, scored 10.

New Orleans scored 11 of the game's first 13 points and maintained its nine-point lead halfway through the first quarter while riding West's 6-for-6 start from the field. Oklahoma City then reeled off 10 straight points to go up 20-19 on Westbrook's jumper.

The Hornets took a brief 33-32 lead after Wright's driving layup early in the second quarter, but the Thunder charged right back to take the lead for good. Oklahoma City built its own nine-point following an 8-0 run that included Emeka Okafor airballing a pair of free throws for New Orleans.

Durant's driving, right-handed jam put the Thunder up 48-39.

NOTES: Hornets coach Jeff Bower said the two-week prognosis for Stojakovic's return was a "minimum timeframe." He expressed hope that Wright, a 2007 first-round draft pick, could use the extra playing time to build on his game. "It's full of energy and athleticism and full of possibilities," Bower said. "What we need to do is turn those possibilities into production." ... D.J. White, recalled by the Thunder from the NBA D-League a day earlier, played for the first time since Dec. 14. He had surgery to repair a broken right thumb in January. ... Attendance was 18,203 as Oklahoma City recorded its 18th sellout in 31 home games. That matches last season's total, when the Ford Center's capacity was 19,163.

Collison leads Hornets past Warriors 135-131

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:00:58 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Darren Collison had 16 points and a career-high 20 assists, and the New Orleans Hornets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 135-131 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

Collison's assists total tied Phoenix's Steve Nash for the most in an NBA game this season.

Marcus Thornton and David West each scored 28 points for the Hornets, who shot 59 percent (54 of 92) and had six players in double figures.

Anthony Morrow made all six 3-pointers he attempted and had 28 points for Golden State, which tied a team season high with 13 3s. Reggie Williams also scored 28 points, while C.J. Watson had 12 points but missed a 3-point attempt that could have tied it in the final seconds.

Conley leads Grizzlies past Hornets, 104-100

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:14:59 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Mike Conley scored a season-high 26 points and the Memphis Grizzlies won their franchise-record fifth-straight road game, 104-100 over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

Conley scored nine in the final quarter as the Grizzlies overcame a nine-point deficit. Conley missed two free throws with 10.7 seconds left that gave the Hornets a chance to tie it, but James Posey turned the ball over and Rudy Gay dunked as time expired.

Zach Randolph had 23 points and 11 rebounds, hitting a 29-foot 3-point bank shot as the shot clock expired to give the Grizzlies a 96-95 lead with 1:20 left. Conley added a running floater with 26.4 seconds left and Randolph four key free throws.

Marcus Thornton scored 24 for New Orleans.

Hill lifts Spurs past Hornets, 106-92

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:38:33 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - George Hill scored 23 points and the San Antonio Spurs won their second straight, 106-92 over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.

Tim Duncan added 22 points and nine rebounds, and Tony Parker had 18 points for the Spurs, who shot 51 percent and led by 20 in the third quarter before holding on without much drama.

Rookie Marcus Thornton was 6 of 7 from 3-point range, setting a career high for 3s in a game, and scored 30 points for New Orleans, which has dropped two straight and four its last five. Emeka Okafor scored 18 points and David West added 13 for the Hornets, who never led in the final three quarters.

Hornets fall to Mavericks 108-100

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:13:00 GMT

DALLAS (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki scored 36 points, Caron Butler had
19 in his return to the Dallas lineup and the Mavericks held on for
a 108-100 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night to
extend their NBA-high winning streak to seven games.
The Hornets had cut what had been a 25-point deficit to 101-97
after Darren Collison's 3-pointer with 2:44 left capped the
rookie's stretch of eight consecutive points. But New Orleans
didn't get any closer and Collison, who had a season-high 35
points, had consecutive turnovers in the final minute that Dallas
turned into baskets.
Nowitzki hit a 9-foot turnaround jumper after Collison's first
turnover, and the first score for either team since Collison's
3-pointer that capped his stretch of eight consecutive points.
Butler then stole the ball from Collison near midcourt and drove
to the basket, missing the layup that Brendan Haywood slammed home.
It was the third consecutive 30-point game for Nowitzki. Butler
played in his sixth game for Dallas since being traded from
Washington, but had missed the last two after having a bad reaction
to some medication.
Dallas took control with a 31-6 run early and appeared to have
the luxury of a lopsided game to start a stretch of two games
inside a 24-hour span. Their game Monday night at Charlotte starts
21½ hours after Sunday's game tipped off.
But Collison, stepping up in the absence of All-Star guard Chris
Paul (left knee injury), helped made it a tight game at the end.
New Orleans was within 86-77 after David West hit two free
throws in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, closing the gap
to under 10 for the first time since last in the first quarter.
That 19-3 run for New Orleans came during an 8-minute shooting
slump for Dallas, who missed 12 consecutive field goals but where
still shooting 55 percent for the game at that point. The Mavericks
finished 52 percent from the field (45 of 87).
Jason Terry ended the Mavericks' shooting slump with an
18-footer, then after West traveled Terry passed to Nowitzki for
his own 18-footer.
Two nights after scoring 40 points, West was held to 10 points
on 3-of-15 shooting.
Marcus Thornton had 21 points for New Orleans while Peja
Stojakovic had 16. Emeka Okafor had a season-high 17 rebounds.
Jason Kidd had 13 points and passed Maurice Cheeks for fourth on
the NBA career list with his 2,311th steal. Kidd had 10 of his
points in the first quarter.
After Stojakovic hit a 3-pointer that got New Orleans with 92-86
with just more than 7 minutes left, Nowitzki hit a 13-foot fadeaway
shot from the baseline. Then after West got blocked on consecutive
shots by Haywood before the shot clock expired, Nowitzki hit a
14-footer and then made the free throw after Hornets coach Jeff
Bower got a technical foul.
Collison put the Hornets up 20-16 with a 7-foot running jumper
with 5:22 left in the first quarter. Nowitzki then drove for a
layup that ignited the 31-6 run over a nearly 8-minute span. Shawn
Marion's layup made it 47-26 with 9:14 left in the first half.
NOTES: The last time Nowitzki had three consecutive 30-points
games was February 2008. ... Dallas played the eighth of 14 games
in a 23-day span out of the All-Star break. ... New Orleans is 6-8
without Paul. Bower said Paul is still out "indefinitely" but is
making encouraging progress. ... The last seven-game winning streak
for Dallas was two seasons ago.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

West lifts Hornets over Magic, 100-93

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:23:00 GMT

David West scored 40 points and the New
Orleans Hornets erased an 18-point deficit in the second half to
beat the Orlando Magic 100-93 on Friday night.
      Marcus Thornton scored 18, including a 3-pointer that made it
96-86 with 51 seconds to go. Fellow rookie Darren Collison added 16
points.
      Dwight Howard led Orlando with 26, but scored only five points
and only one of his eight dunks came after Hornets coach Jeff Bower
called on seldom-used 7-foot reserve Aaron Gray in the third
quarter to muscle Orlando's All-Star away from the basket.
      That's when the Hornets' comeback began and the Magic ran out of
steam, hitting only four of 18 shots in the fourth quarter. Gray
added six points, all during a crucial stretch in the final period.


      (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

Bogut has 26 points, 13 rebounds to lead Bucks

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:28:28 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Andrew Bogut had 26 points and 13 rebounds to continue his string of dominant performances, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 115-95 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

Fresh off his 24-point, 20-rebound performance in a rout of the Knicks on Monday night, Bogut had his fourth straight double-double in Milwaukee's fourth straight win.

The Bucks (28-28) are tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference and back at .500 for the first time since Dec. 12. It's the first time Milwaukee has been .500 or better after the All-Star break since 2005-06, when the Bucks last made the playoffs.

New Orleans' rookies led the way again. Marcus Thornton had 25 points, and Darren Collison added 22, but the Hornets (30-28) slipped three games behind eighth-place Portland in the Western Conference.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and John Salmons added 18 points for the Bucks. Salmons has reached double figures in all four games since being traded at the deadline from Chicago and in his last eight overall.

New Orleans had won eight straight in this series, but never led by more than a point and trailed by six at the half despite shooting 48.8 percent.

That's when Milwaukee turned up the defensive pressure, pulling away to start the second half and leading by 19 in the third by holding the Hornets to 5-of-19 shooting from the field in the quarter.

An unexpected lake effect snowstorm made it difficult for the Bucks before the game and several players said it took two hours or more to make it to the Bradley Center. It took coach Scott Skiles 90 minutes to travel 13 miles, but his Bucks showed little rust from their travel woes.

Bogut came out and hit his first four shots and scored 12 points in the first quarter, then scored 10 more in the third as Milwaukee led 89-72. Bogut sat the entire fourth quarter.

NOTES: Hornets F David West had 19 points and nine rebounds. ... Hornets G Morris Peterson strained his left hamstring less than 5 minutes into the game and did not return. ... Bogut had a stretch of six straight double-doubles from Jan. 11-Jan. 20, but the Bucks went 2-4 in that stretch. ... Bucks C Primoz Brezec made his debut after being acquired in a deadline trade with Philadelphia.

James, Jamison end Cavs' skid with win vs. Hornets

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:44:28 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James had 20 points and 12 assists, and Antawn Jamison scored 18 points in his first start for Cleveland as the Cavaliers beat the New Orleans Hornets 105-95 on Tuesday night and snapped a three-game losing streak.

New Orleans rookies Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison combined for 59 points, including a franchise-record 23 from Thornton in the second quarter.

James, though, closed out another win for Cleveland in the final two minutes, hitting a 3-pointer and finishing a three-point play to escape a huge night from the Hornets' rookies.

Thornton scored a career-high 37 off the bench, igniting a 40-point second quarter for the Hornets by making his first five shots and 10 of 13 in the quarter.

New Orleans defeats Indiana 107-101

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:17:00 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Rookie Darren Collison registered his first

career triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists,

and the New Orleans Hornets beat the Indiana Pacers 107-101 on

Friday night.

Collison joined injured star Chris Paul as the only Hornets to

record triple-doubles since former New Orleans point guard Baron

Davis had one on Jan. 8, 2005.

David West scored 29, Peja Stojakovic scored 17, and Emeka

Okafor had 13 points and 13 rebounds for New Orleans, which

extended the Pacers' losing streak to four.

Danny Granger scored 29 and Mike Dunleavy 15 for Indiana, which

trailed by as much as 21 in the second quarter, but got within four

in the final minute before New Orleans held on.

New Orleans appeared firmly in control when Stojakovic's tip-in

made it 72-55 in the middle of the third quarter, but the Pacers

didn't quit.

Granger's free throws started a 10-2 run and his dunk finished

it, pulling Indiana to 74-65. In the fourth quarter, T.J. Ford hit

a 3 from the corner, Roy Hibbert followed with a driving dunk and

Granger's free throws got the deficit down to 87-83.

The home crowd anxiously implored the Hornets to respond, and

they did.

Okafor spun into the lane for a short hook shot. Soon after,

Collison and Stojakovic hit 3s. Okafor hit another short jumper to

push the lead back to 97-87 with 4:17 to go, then Collison made a

steal and converted a fast-break layup.

Indiana had the lead back down to four when Hibbert's short

jumper made it 103-99 with 46 seconds to go. Then West rebounded

Marcus Thornton's miss and drew a foul.

West, 13 of 15 from the foul line, made both free throws and the

Pacers did not score again until the final seconds.

Thornton scored 12 for the Hornets, and Morris Peterson 11.

Hibbert finished with 13 points, while Earl Watson and Luther

Head each added 11.

The Pacers combined for 10 3-pointers, but missed 17, and got

only six offensive rebounds. New Orleans outrebounded Indiana

56-35. The Hornets had 15 offensive rebounds, six by Okafor, and

finished with an 18-6 advantage in second-chance points.

Coming off a miserable, five-point performance in New Orleans'

loss to Utah on Wednesday night, West scored five points during an

11-0 first-quarter run that gave the Hornets an early double-digit

lead.

West had 12 points in the first quarter alone. Thornton scored

10 in the second quarter, helping the Hornets widen their lead even

more.

The Pacers' decision to settle for outside shots hurt them

early. They shot only 33.3 percent (15 of 45) in the first half and

were outscored 24-10 inside in the first 24 minutes.

New Orleans led by as much as 21 in the second quarter on Julian

Wright's turnaround fade. Indiana trimmed its deficit to 17 before

Collison hit a pull-up jumper to make it 62-43 at halftime.

NOTES: Collison's previous high in rebounds was seven. He had 10

in the first half alone. ... The Hornets have beaten the Pacers

five straight times, including once earlier this season. ...

Indiana is 6-21 on the road this season, losing all nine road games

against Western Conference teams this season. ... The Hornets are

4-5 since Paul went out with his left knee injury.

Millsap scores 24 points, Jazz beat Hornets

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:13:36 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Paul Millsap scored 24 points on 11 of 13 shooting, and the Utah Jazz beat the New Orleans Hornets 98-90 on Wednesday night.

Carlos Boozer scored six of his 16 points in the last 3:06, helping Utah pull away after a 3-pointer by New Orleans' James Posey had tied it at 85. Boozer added 15 rebounds, and Deron Williams had 16 points and 10 assists for the Jazz, who shot 54 percent (38 of 70).

Rookie Darren Collison had 24 points and nine assists for New Orleans. Peja Stojakovic added 24 points, hitting 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Yet New Orleans struggled with its shooting overall, finishing at 38.6 percent (34 of 88).

Utah, which never led by more than nine points, saw a seven-point lead quickly evaporate late in the game when Posey hit a fast-break layup and later added his 3 to tie it.

As quickly at the Jazz lost the lead, they built it back, starting with Boozer's inside basket on a feed from Williams. Boozer added a key offensive rebound which led to his two late free throws and then hit a tough fall-away over two defenders on the baseline with a little over a minute to go. Andrei Kirilenko's driving dunk made it 94-87 with 45 seconds left, and the Hornets were unable to recover.

The Hornets trailed for much of the second half, with several usual contributors having an off shooting night. Second-leading scorer David West, averaging 18.1 points coming in, sat for much of the first half with foul trouble, was 2 of 9 from the field and finished with only five points. Darius Songaila, who has shot about 50 percent this season, was 1 of 6, as was Morris Peterson, who started at shooting guard.

Marcus Thornton scored 14 for New Orleans, but also missed 10 of his 16 shots.

Mehmet Okur had 10 points for Utah, which won ninth time in 10 games while dropping New Orleans three games behind Portland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Emeka Okafor had 10 rebounds, eight points and three blocks for the Hornets.

Starting at point guard for the 16th time this season, Collison got the Hornets rolling early, leading a 17-2 first-quarter run that produced an 11-point lead.

The rookie scored seven points during the surge and assisted on two other baskets, but the lead didn't last long.

Led by Millsap's 16 first-half points, Utah chipped away and pulled ahead 29-28 on Millsap's dunk in the middle of the second quarter.

With Hornets leading scorer Chris Paul missing his eighth-straight game with his left knee injury, West struggled to pick up the slack. He sat out the last 8:28 of the second quarter after committing his third foul before he'd scored a point.

Utah led 41-38 on Kirilenko's free throw late in the half, but New Orleans was still able to pull back into the lead, 43-41 at halftime after Stojakovic tied it with a 3 and Collison added a pull-up jumper.

NOTES: Millsap came in averaging 11.4 points but had scored 20 in his previous outing. ... The teams combined for eight steals and six blocks in the first quarter alone, with Okafor blocking three shots in the period. ... The Jazz wore green throwback uniforms they wore as an alternate road jersey in 1979-80, the club's first season in Utah. The jersey also had the music note logo that originated when the club called New Orleans home. ... Utah is 12-12 on the road this season. ... New Orleans won the only other meeting between the teams in Utah on Jan. 4. The clubs meet twice more this season in each city. ... New Orleans is 3-5 since Paul went out with his latest injury. Paul is expected to be out at least another three weeks.