Hornets Top Kings In NOLA 115-103
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Chris Paul returned from a concussion and scored a season-high 33 points to go with 15 assists, seven rebounds and five steals, and the New Orleans Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings 115-103 on Saturday night.
David West had 25 points and former Kings forward Carl Landry added 20 for New Orleans, which has won four of five games and passed Portland for sixth place in the Western Conference.
Marcus Thornton, the former LSU star whose trade from New Orleans to Sacramento for Landry was unpopular with many Hornets fans, scored 25 points in his return. DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 11 rebounds, but foul trouble forced him to the bench early in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets were in the midst of a decisive 18-2 run.
It was the highest-scoring game of the season for the Hornets, who shot 52 percent (42 of 81) against a Kings squad that has lost six straight. Marco Belinelli added 12 points for New Orleans.
Samuel Dalembert had 16 points and eight rebounds for Sacramento, while Francisco Garcia added 12 points and Jason Thompson 10.
Sacramento shot 51 percent (33 of 65) through the first three quarters, but went 7 of 19 in the final one as New Orleans took command behind's Paul's 13 points in the period.
Paul had missed two games since slamming his head into the shoulder of the Cavaliers' Ramon Sessions in a victory at Cleveland on March 6.
He returned to practice Thursday, and shortly before Saturday's game, coach Monty Williams put him in the starting lineup.
Paul's effect was immediate. He had six points and five assists in the first quarter and also made passes on consecutive possessions to set up points at the free throw line by Belinelli and Landry.
The Hornets led by as many as 10 points early in the second quarter when Landry scored inside to make it 34-24, but the Kings responded with the next eight points and no team led by double digits again in the half, which ended in a 57-all tie.
With his mother sitting four rows from the court in a white Kings polo, Thornton received an enthusiastic welcome-back ovation from fans during introductions but started slowly, missing his first shot and not scoring until his driving reverse layup half way through the fist quarter. That changed quickly in the second quarter, however, when he scored 10 points, including a 3 from the corner and a fast-break layup after his steal from Paul, the latter giving the Kings the lead at 45-44.
By the end of the third quarter, he was the game's high scorer with 23 points and the Kings led 85-84.
The Kings led 86-84 early in the fourth quarter on Thompson's free throw, then the Hornets locked down on defense and went on their game-breaking run, which included four jumpers by Paul, while Cousins was on the bench with five fouls and a sore left shoulder.
Cousins returned to the game with the Hornets leading 102-88, but by then Paul had the Hornets fully in control.
Notes: The Hornets have had 10 different starting lineups in 18 games since Jan. 30. Most were because of injuries to Trevor Ariza (groin), Emeka Okafor (oblique) and Paul, but also because Belinelli briefly lost his starting job to Willie Green. ... The Hornets are 23-9 at home this season. ... The matchup was the last this season between the Kings and Hornets, with New Orleans winning three of four meetings. ... Sacramento's Beno Udrih missed his second straight game with the flu.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
