NBA Recap: New Orleans Hornets overpower the Phoenix Suns, 100-95
Chris Paul landed a game-high 26 points and dished out nine assists to help New Orleans Hornets overshadow Phoenix Suns by 100-95. This was the fourth straight defeat for the Suns while the Hornets took a huge stride towards the
playoffs. Paul amassed his third successive 25-plus performance to spearhead the Hornets on Wednesday night.
The New Orleans swingman said after the game.
"It's the way it's going. It's winning time. You can't wait and hope that other teams lose in order to try to get position. The only way that we can stay in the playoffs is that we continue to win."
David West and Emeka Okafor also scored 16 points apiece for the Hornets. Jared Dudley exploded off the bench for Suns by scoring a team-high 25 points and also gathered eight rebounds. Starting guard Vince carter supplied a substantial
support with 21 points; however, their efforts were utterly subjugated by the Hornets trio that combined for 58 points.
Phoenix Suns romped with 6-0 run in the preliminary moments of the game capped by a blistering land from downtown from Carter. Hornets lifted the momentum swiftly after that and escalated a 14-14 tie with almost four minutes left
in the first quarter.
They then broke the game open and surged with 20-5 run, bridging the last stages of the first period and opening minutes of the second quarter to bag a 42-32 advantage with 7:28 remaining in the halftime. Dudley took the charge
to cut down the deficit however Chris Paul joined the action just before the first half and buried a scorching blow beyond the arc to sustain 10 points lead.
Carter strived hard in the second half to put his team in a fighting situation however the visiting team was constantly haunted by the aggressiveness New Orleans carried throughout. The home team kept their momentum intact, leaving
few options for Phoenix to gain any sort of momentum. Hornets managed to amplify the lead in the third quarter 77-65 as they marched forward in the final quarter with a comprehensive advantage.
Suns showed some great retaliation in the fourth quarter assailing from long distance as they clutched five buckets from downtown. Phoenix aggression came late in the game when they were far behind to gain advantage. Green shot
the final bucket of the night as Hornets cherished a crucial victory 100-95 at the final buzzer.
It was an important night for New Orleans and they finished it in style. They needed this win to overcome the odds for the playoff run. The team however faces a big challenge on Saturday as they face Boston Celtics in the same
court.
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