West leads Hornets past Heat 95-91

[December 31, 2009]  NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- David West scored six of his 21 points in the last 55 seconds, and also grabbed 10 rebounds to help the New Orleans Hornets hold on for a 95-91 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

Chris Paul had 18 points and nine assists, and Emeka Okafor had 15 points, 14 rebounds and a key block on Udonis Haslem in the final 30 seconds, helping the Hornets end a two-game skid and snap Miami's three-game winning streak.

Dwyane Wade scored 22 for the Heat, which trailed by 15 early in the fourth quarter but led 88-87 when Quentin Richardson tipped in Wade's missed jumper with 59 seconds to go. Richardson made a late 3 to finish with 14 points and pull Miami to 93-91 with 8 seconds left, but New Orleans' Devin Brown, who scored 16 points, made a pair of free throws to put it away.

Paul had nine of his points in the third quarter when he made one of the baskets of the night. After stripping the ball from Haslem on the defensive end, Paul raced down the court, spun into a crowd of defenders and hit a short floater fading away from the hoop as he was fouled by Carlos Arroyo.

Paul completed the three-point play, giving New Orleans a 61-51 lead. Late in the period, Paul found Okafor inside for a dunk and then hit a jumper in the final seconds, putting New Orleans up 73-59 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Hornets took their largest lead when Darius Songaila's jumper made it 77-62 early in the fourth quarter, but Miami suddenly turned the tide with a 10-0 run highlighted by Wade's transition 3 and Haslem's three midrange baskets.

With the Hornets desperate for offense, West and Paul got them going again, with West hitting a jumper to stop Miami's run. Soon after, Paul banked in a 30-foot, bailout 3 at the shot-clock buzzer, putting the Hornets up 82-76.

Miami kept chipping away, however, and the Hornets needed West's jumper with 54.3 seconds left to regain the lead at 89-88. After Daequan Cook missed a 3 for Miami, West was fouled on the rebound and hit two free throws, then hit two more foul shots after rebounding Okafor's block of Haslem's shot in the lane.

Haslem had 10 points and nine rebounds in a reserve roll. Jermaine O'Neal scored 12 for the Heat, while Michael Beasley and Arroyo each scored 11.

Songaila scored 11 off the bench for the Hornets.

New Orleans led most of the first half and was able to widen its lead with reserves in the middle of the second quarter. Rookie Darren Collison led two fast breaks to perfection, finishing one with a soaring dunk and the other with a pass to Songaila cutting through the lane for a layup as he was fouled. Marcus Thornton capped the surge with a 3, giving New Orleans a 39-28 lead.

Richardson made a pair of 3s late in the second quarter to pull Miami as close as 46-40. Then West, who had 10 points in the first half, scored inside to help the Hornets take a 48-40 lead into halftime.

NOTES: Brown was 4 of 4 shooting in the first half with two 3-pointers and had his only points of the second half on the last two free throws. ... The Hornets have won 10 of 11 at home and are 12-3 at home overall. ... The Heat beat the Hornets in Miami in the only other meeting this season. ... Miami plays again on New Year's Eve in San Antonio. ... Richardson banked in a 79-foot heave just after the horn sounded to end the first quarter.

[Associated Press; By BRETT MARTEL]

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