subject: New Orleans Hornets Tickets - Hornets Triumph Over Pistons 95-87 [print this page] David West scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Chris Paul had 16 points, Emeka Okafor added 15 and the New Orleans Hornets defeated the Detroit Pistons 95-87. Get New Orleans Hornets tickets and see West drive to the hoop.
Paul had 12 assists, while Peja Stojakovic swished three 3-pointers and finished the game with 11 points for the Hornets. New Orleans ended a two-game losing streak and handed Detroit their second straight loss. The Hornets improved to 11-13, good enough for 10th place in the Western Conference.
Rodney Stuckey led the pistons with 26 points, Charlie Villanueva had 18, and Chucky Atkins added 13. Detroit entered the contest without Ben Gordon (left ankle) and Tayshaun Price (back). The Pistons received more bad news right before tipoff when Richard Hamilton was unable to play due to a sore right hamstring. Atkins filled in for Hamilton and Detroit got off to a great start.
The Hornets turned over the ball 14 times in the first half and the Pistons took advantage with a 20-4 run in the second quarter. New Orleans went 5:50 without registering a point until West's putback of Darren Collison's miss made it 49-35. Austin Daye knocked down a pair of 3s during Detroit's scoring burst, which Villanueva capped with seven straight points. Villanueva made a 3-pointer, a mid-range jumper, and a layup to make it 49-33. The Pistons had a 55-42 lead at halftime.
Down by 14 early in the second half, the Hornets got back in the game when West hit a pair of fadeaway jumpers during a 7-0 run that made it 59-52. West recorded 10 points in the third quarter, which included a layup and a pair of free throws. The power forward narrowed the gap to 69-66 late in the third. West's driving one-handed jam and Layup gave the Hornets a 76-75 lead with 8:12 left of regulation. It was New Orleans' first lead since the first quarter. After Paul and Ben Wallace exchanged baskets, West made a layup and sunk an 18-foot fadeaway to give the Hornets the lead for good at 87-83.
New Orleans performed well in the final quarter, making all 10 of their free throws and ended the game on a 17-6 run. The Hornets also swarmed Stuckey in the fourth quarter and the Pistons were unable to respond, shooting a disappointing 25 percent in the final period (5 of 25). West admitted that the Hornets had problems covering Stuckey. He continued to say that Stuckey "is a tough, aggressive guard. Those last five minutes we kind of concentrated on him."
Villanueva told the press, "It's very frustrating. The second half we gave them a little bit of breathing room and we just collapsed offensively." The Hornets have won seven of their last eight home games. New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, who is Paul's neighbor in a downtown high-rise, attended the game. Bush sat next to the Hornets' players, where he had front row seats to all of the action.
