Hornets send Suns to record 7th straight home loss

[April 08, 2013]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Anthony Davis scored 20 points, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson added 17 apiece and the New Orleans Hornets handed the Phoenix Suns their franchise-record seventh consecutive home loss, 95-92 on Sunday night.

Markieff Morris scored 18 points for the Suns, losers of a season-worst nine straight overall and 15 of their last 17. Luis Scola added 17 and Jared Dudley had 15.

The Suns, down by 16 with nine minutes to play, cut it to 85-82 on Goran Dragic's two free throws with 3:03 left. But Anderson's rebound basket and two free throws by Davis boosted it to 89-82 and the Hornets held on from there.

New Orleans snapped an eight-game road losing streak.

The Hornets outscored the Suns 35-19 in the third quarter. Phoenix was outscored 32-14 in its loss to Golden State on Friday night.

In the early stages of a 12-2 run, New Orleans took its first lead of the night at 51-49 on Davis' dunk. Anderson's 3-pointer capped the outburst and put the Hornets up 59-51 with 6:35 left in the quarter.

New Orleans scored the last six of the quarter, four by Brian Roberts and two by ex-Sun Robin Lopez, to lead 74-62 entering the fourth.

The Hornets kept it going to start the fourth, another former Phoenix player, Lou Amundson, dunked to make it a 13-3 run and put New Orleans ahead 81-65 with 9:06 to play.

The Suns mounted a 17-4 run, with Morris scoring eight to make it a three-point game with three minutes left. After Anderson's rebound and Davis' free throws, Dudley made two from the line to cut the lead to 89-84 with 1:44 to go.

But Gordon made two free throws, the Suns turned it over and New Orleans put it away from there.

Phoenix led the entire first half from the opening basket and was up 40-29 after Morris' 20-footer with 3:47 left in the second quarter. But the Hornets outscored the Suns 11-3 the rest of the half to cut the lead to 43-39 at the break.

After scoring in double digits four games in a row, including 25 points on Friday, Phoenix's Michael Beasley was 1 for 11 shooting for three points.

NOTES: The Hornets last won a road game Feb. 11 at Detroit. ... New Orleans won the season series 2-1. ... The Suns were without C Jermaine O'Neal (bruised shin). ... Phoenix recalled Diante Garrett after he played one game for Bakersfield of the NBA Development League. He scored 32 points in a 106-105 victory that secured Bakersfield the No. 1 seed in the D-League playoffs. ... Phoenix plays four of its last five on the road. Its lone remaining home game is April 15 against Houston.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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