Gordon carries Hornets to victory over Spurs

[January 08, 2013]  NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Eric Gordon scored six straight points in a key fourth quarter spurt and had 24 overall to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 95-88 victory over San Antonio on Monday night.

Anthony Davis added 17 points, Greivis Vasquez 14 and Ryan Anderson 13 for the Hornets, who have won two consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 2-3.

The Hornets have held their opponents to less than 100 points in each of their nine wins.

Manu Ginobili scored 21 points to lead the Spurs, who had won eight of their previous nine, dating to a 99-94 victory over the Hornets in San Antonio on Dec. 21.

Tony Parker had 16 points, Tim Duncan 13 and Kawhi Leonard 10 for San Antonio. Duncan was 5 of 14, at one point missing five consecutive shots in the third quarter.

The Spurs committed 19 turnovers, leading to 23 points for New Orleans.

The Hornets led 70-65 entering the fourth quarter and played the first four minutes with Gordon as a spectator. But he entered with 7:41 to go and made three consecutive jumpers on a 6-2 run to give the Hornets an 84-77 lead with 5:06 remaining.

Vasquez's steal and layup gave the Hornets a 90-79 lead with 2:19 remaining.

Despite missing eight of his first 11 shots, Gordon scored 12 points in leading New Orleans to a 49-41 halftime lead. Davis, on 5-of-8 shooting, had 10 points in the half.

The Spurs committed 11 first-half turnovers, including seven in the first nine minutes.

Both team started slowly. The score was tied at 6 with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter. But the Hornets, buoyed by four consecutive free throws by Gordon, went on a 10-2 run to take an 18-10 lead with 3:16 left in the period, a lead they would not relinquish.

Duncan committed three turnovers and two personal fouls in the first 8 minutes.

NOTES: The Hornets signed guard Donald Sloan to a 10-day contract Monday. Sloan, who played in 3 games for the Hornets during the 2011-12 season, has most recently played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. Sloan also appeared in 20 games earlier this season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. . . NBA Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, an LSU standout, was at courtside, sitting next to Hornets and New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. Shortly before tipoff Duncan and Parker greeted Pettit.

[Associated Press]

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