THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — Peja Stojakovic hit seven three-pointers during a 25-point, 13-rebound performance, and the New Orleans Hornets defeated the Phoenix Suns 110-103 on Thursday night.
Devin Brown and rookie Marcus Thornton each scored 19 for New Orleans, which won its second straight under new head coach Jeff Bower.
The score was tied at 96 when Stojakovic and rookie Darren Collison hit back-to-back threes, and New Orleans held on from there. Collison had 15 points, putting both Hornets rookies in double figures.
Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and Jared Dudley, who was 5-of-6 on three-pointers, scored 17 for Phoenix. Channing Frye added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Phoenix (10-3) was trying to match its best 13-game start in franchise history and was in position to do so when Stoudemire’s dunk and short jumper gave the Suns a 92-91 lead.
Stojakovic put New Orleans back in front with his sixth three, and the Hornets never trailed after that, despite having Collison, a rookie point guard, running the offence while Chris Paul watched from the bench in a suit with his sprained left ankle.
Emeka Okafor had 13 points and 12 rebounds for New Orleans, which dominated the inside. New Orleans outrebounded Phoenix 56-38 and the Hornets’ 25 offensive rebounds helped produce 38 second-chance points, compared to 13 for the Suns. New Orleans outscored the Suns in the paint, 36-30.
New Orleans was 52 per cent from three-point range (13 of 25) and the Suns were 11 of 28 (39 per cent).
Stojakovic’s had his first double-double since Jan. 21, when he had 20 points and 10 rebounds against New Jersey for his only double-double last season.
Victoria native Steve Nash had 13 points and 10 assists for Phoenix. Jason Richardson scored 16 points, Leandro Barbosa 11 and Grant Hill 10.
Phoenix opened the second half on a 16-5 run and led 65-57 after Hill’s jumper.
Just as the game appeared to be getting away from the Hornets, they responded with a 7-0 run, capped by Brown’s three-pointer. Stojakovic’s back-to-back threes later in the period vaulted the Hornets back into the lead at 74-71.
Blown out by Phoenix eight days ago in Byron Scott’s last game as head coach, New Orleans raced to 15-2 lead in the first quarter, with Okafor scoring six during the spurt. New Orleans led 20-9 when Stojakovic hit his second three of the quarter.
The Hornets turned the ball over four times in the last 2:25 of the period and Barbosa’s layup, coming off of James Posey’s turnover, pulled the suns to 26-22 by the end of the period.
Hill’s dunk and threes by Dudley and Richardson highlighted a 10-0 run in the second quarter that gave Phoenix its first lead at 41-39. New Orleans surged back into the lead on Stojakovic’s third three of the game late in the second quarter and his driving layup in the final seconds gave New Orleans a 52-49 lead at halftime.
Notes: Bower is 2-2 since taking over as head coach. … The Hornets are 2-1 in games Paul has missed. … Three previous Suns teams have opened a season 11-2 (1980-81, 2004-05 and 2007-08). … Phoenix has scored 100 or more points in each of its first 13 games. Four previous Suns teams have scored 100-plus points in each of their first 13 games, the last time being in 1988-89.
