Paul, Hornets sting Hawks

Mar 1, 2007, 4:30 GMT

Oklahoma City, OK - Chris Paul posted 24 points and 13 rebounds, as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets got their sixth straight win at home with a 107-100 win over the Atlanta Hawks at the Ford Center.

Devin Brown scored 19 points for the Hornets, who have won three of their last four. Tyson Chandler notched 18 points and 13 boards, David West had 17 points and 14 boards, and Desmond Mason added 16 points.

The Hornets have won 12 of their last 13 at home and are 19-11 on the season as the host. The Hornets will play in Chicago on Friday.

'The key is, we played solid defense,' Mason said. 'We pushed the ball when we had the opportunity and got stops on the defensive end and that was the key to the win.'

Joe Johnson posted 27 points and eight assists for the Hawks, who lost for the fifth time in six games. Josh Smith notched 17 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, while Anthony Johnson netted 13 points. Marvin Williams added 12 points and eight boards.

The tilt was the second of a quick three-game road trip for Atlanta that concludes in Washington on Friday. The Hawks are just 12-19 as the visiting team this season.

With Atlanta trailing 100-92 in the final minute, Smith drilled a three- pointer with 33.3 seconds left to make it a two-possession game. West then converted a pair of free throws one second later, but Johnson responded on a layup with 27.7 seconds remaining

Brown hit a free throw at 26.4 seconds, but Salim Stoudamire's trey with 19.1 seconds to go kept Atlanta alive with a 103-100 deficit.

However, Paul hit a pair of free throws with 14.1 seconds left and Smith came up short on a three-point attempt. Mason then converted a pair of free throws with 4.9 seconds on the clock to seal the win.

'Chris Paul comes up with a big performance,' Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. 'He's a tough little player. Tonight, he makes play after play down the stretch.'

The lead went back and forth several times through the first quarter, and Atlanta edged a 30-27 advantage heading into the second.

After Zaza Pachulia's layup 23 seconds into the second, the Hornets went on a 10-2 run capped by a West jumper with 8:44 remaining for a 37-34 lead. They retained control down the stretch for a 59-50 halftime advantage.

The Hawks regrouped and came out of the locker room on an 8-1 spurt sparked by a Johnson free throw 12 seconds into the second half, and trailed just 77-76 heading into the fourth.

The Hornets reclaimed control by starting the final stanza on a 13-4 burst finished by a Chandler alley oop dunk with 5:17 left for a 90-80 lead heading down the stretch.

Game Notes

The Hornets controlled the glass, outrebounding Atlanta 46-32, and outscored the Hawks 30-12 at the free-throw line...New Orleans has been solid against the Hawks as of late. The Hornets took the first meeting of this two-game season series between the teams on January 10 despite playing without Paul, Peja Stojakovic, West and Bobby Jackson, and have won four of five overall against Atlanta.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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