Paul's triple-double lifts Hornets past Lakers

By BRETT MARTEL

Paul had 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets held on for a 93-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night to even their first-round playoff series at 2-2.

Wearing a black wrap on his left hand and a small bandage over his right eye, Paul scored 14 of New Orleans' 24 points in the fourth quarter. The All-Star guard then capped his brilliant performance by running down the clock and setting up Jarrett Jack's short jumper, which made it 90-86 with 9.3 seconds left.

Kobe Bryant had 17 points for the Lakers, but did not score in the first half and finished 5 of 18 shooting. He also came up lame late in the fourth quarter, favoring his left ankle after a collision with Green. Bryant's last miss came on a 3-point attempt in the final seconds.

That forced Los Angeles to foul Jarrett Jack, and while the Hornets walked up the court, Paul triumphantly cupped his hand around his ear to soak in the roar of approval from the packed and delirious New Orleans Arena.

Trevor Ariza scored 19 for New Orleans, while Carl Landry added 16 before fouling out in the final minute.

The Hornets' victory ensured the series, which resumes with Game 5 in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, would return to New Orleans for Game 6 on Thursday.

Pau Gasol and Ron Artest each scored 16 for Los Angeles, with all of Artest's points coming in the first half. Andrew Bynum added 11 points and Derek Fisher 10.

The Hornets never trailed in the second half and led by as many as nine points, at 57-48, early in the third quarter when Marco Belinelli's 3 capped a 20-3 spurt that had started in the second quarter.

Bryant still hadn't scored at that point, but that was about to change dramatically. He scored the next eight points to cut New Orleans' lead to a point. He wound up with 14 in the quarter, but with Paul driving New Orleans' offense and helping out on the defensive end with a key steal and five rebounds, the Hornets held a 69-67 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

New Orleans opened the fourth with a flourish. After setting up Willie Green's 3, Paul added a tough floater from the baseline as he was fouled and a step-back jumper on the baseline capping a 12-3 run that made it 81-72 with 6:13 left.

Steve Blake turned the momentum with a 3, then Bryant added a pull-up in the lane and a free throw to cut it to 81-78 with 4:24 left.

Bryant had a chance to tie it at 83 with a little over 2 minutes left, but his shot was short and Paul scrambled for the long rebound, drawing a foul on Gasol and hitting crucial free throws to make it 85-80.

The Hornets were narrowly able to hold on after the Lakers had cut it to 88-86 on Gasol's inside basket and Lamar Odom's free throws.

That's when Paul set up Jack's crucial score at the shot clock buzzer, and Jack added three more free throws for the final margin.

The opening half was dominated by role players.

Slashing aggressively through the Lakers defense, Ariza had 16 points by halftime, mostly on layups, driving floaters and a a double-pump dunk against Bynum.

That was matched by Artest, who hit a pair of 3s and several tough shots inside.

The Lakers led most of the half, going up by as much as nine, but the Hornets dominated the final seven minutes of the second quarter after Paul returned from a rest.

Paul had five assists, five rebounds and four points during that span, helping the Hornets close the quarter on a 12-0 run that gave them a 49-45 halftime lead.

Bryant, who rested about seven minutes during first half, appeared to be focusing on getting his teammates more involved. He had seven assists in the first half. Yet he also missed seven shots, as well as a technical free throw that resulted from Paul yelling at him after the Hornets guard appeared to be bumped by Bryant on a driving floater that turned out to be Paul's first basket with 1:03 left in the second quarter.

Soon after, Paul and Bryant were in each other's faces again after Bryant was called for a shooting foul on Paul. Ariza, a former Lacer, walked Bryant away to the perimeter and Paul his both free throws to give the Hornets a 47-45 lead.

Paul then got his ninth assist of the half when he set up Emeka Okafor's 13-foot baseline jumper in the final seconds of the second quarter.

Notes: Bryant and Paul were the last starters for each of their teams to score. Paul didn't score until he hit a driving layup with 1:03 left in the second quarter. Bryant, who was 0 for 7 in the first half and missed a technical free throw, finally scored with 9:28 left in the third quarter. ... The last time Bryant went scoreless for a half in a playoff game was May 25, 2004 against Minnesota. Bryant finished with 22 and the Lakers won. ... Bryant hit seven free throws to become the Lakers' all-time leader in playoff free throws made with 1,216, passing Jerry West, who had 1,213.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

POSTGAME QUOTES



Lakers Coach Phil Jackson:

On the game: "Well, it's a series now. 2-2, Best out of three. We punked out out there on the court tonight. They had the momentum of the crowd tonight in the first half. They had a momentum change when a goaltending wasn't called. That was a four point play. We came back in the second half, and pushed back. We tried to make good things happen to get momentum back."

On Chris Paul: "We did well in the first half; he had four points. The second half he came back, and we didn't identify very well. He made a lot of things happen out there. He had a triple double. He just pressed the issue. He let his teammates score in the first half, and Trevor and (Carl) Landry had a good first half. He didn't have to press the game. And then he pressed the game in the second half and delivered for them."

On Kobe Bryant's play: "Kobe didn't really shoot well in the ball game. Trevor (Ariza) did a great job on him. When it's all said and done, in the end he made some plays for us and got things going for us, we just didn't make the plays on our end. He didn't really defend Paul. He just got switched up on a couple of screen rolls with Trevor (Ariza) involved in it."

Lakers G Kobe Bryant:

On his ankle: "It was just roll over, it's been a week since I hurt it last. It happens, you roll your ankle once, it's easy to hurt again."

On Jarrett Jack's shot in the closing seconds of the game: "He just made a cut, Jack made a great cut. I felt like I played pretty good defense. I used my length, used my size, but Jack made a great cut in the lane and got the shot off."

On his status for Game 5: "It's going to take a lot to stop me to play. We'll do treatment the whole flight, but we'll make sure we stay on top of it. It's more of my foot, it's not really my ankle, it's my foot. I mean, I don't hurt that too often so it's a little different."

On stopping Chris Paul as a key to the series: We're playing to win the series. It was important for us to come here and regain home court. He's one of the best point guards in the game. He's going to have games like this, where he controls the ball. I mean, the majority of the game, he's just a phenomenal player.

Lakers G Steve Blake:

On controlling Chris Paul defensively: "He obviously controlled the game, he played the way he wanted to and he made some really tough shots. He created shots for his teammates, but we also made some mistakes, which opened things up for him. So it goes both ways."

On the difference between games 3 and 4 for Chris Paul: "He is one of the better point guards in the league. There are going to be nights were he gets off. It's never easy, we just need to come back for the next game and get re-focused and get ready for the next game."

Lakers F Matt Barnes:

On the difference in Chris Paul between game 4 and game 3: "Lack of the attention to detail, our goal is to shut him down and he did everything for them tonight. I think he led everybody in scoring rebounding and assists. When you let the other teams best player do that you are going to have a hard time winning.

On the game plan to control Chris Paul: "Same game plan, we know he is the head of the snake, and in order to beat this team we are going to have to slow him down a little bit. He did a great job of not only did he scoring for himself, but getting his teammates involved. We have got to come back in game 5 and take control."

On the most frustrating thing: "Just letting things slip away and not executing down the stretch. A few turnovers, allowing them 22 second chance points to our four. That was a big difference. We just need to tighten our belts and come back ready to play game 5."

On the Hornets effort plays: "That is what they beat us with tonight, like I said, they had 22 second chance points to our four. That just is a lack of effort and a lack of hustle, they got all the 50/50 balls, loose balls and everything. That's why they beat us."

Hornets Head Coach Monty Williams

On the win: "Tonight was about a number of things that we have been talking about being strong and courageous. Since the playoffs started, the guys are fighting for everything that they are going to receive. They have to take it. Chris Paul had one of the better performances that I have seen in the playoffs. A lot of guys have performances when they score. We scored, dished it out, and rebounded. We made tough, tenacious plays. A lot of times, the rebounds are 50/50 balls and you see a six foot guy go up and get it. It just describes their heart. As a coach, I've said it a number of times. Trevor Ariza, I thought he set the tone for us from the beginning. A lot of our guys stepped up tonight; they just played a tough, tenacious game. In order for us to beat them, we are going to have to play like this all the time."

On Marco Belinelli: "Marco's been a guy that he may not be the best at a lot of things, but he plays hard. We have had to trust him all year long. He was in here last night putting up shots close to an hour. We know the guys who put the work in; they deserve a chance to play. He's not afraid and he's out there fighting (Ron) Artest like a strong, small forward. It's just trust."

On Chris Paul playing injured: "Chris has a number of things going on; not just his thumb, but his hip. He takes a hit to the thigh a lot from pick-and-rolls on defense. It did not bother me as much because as soon as he would attack the basket, I knew the adrenaline kicked in and he played. As the game went on, I did not see him wincing at all. When he caught the ball, he just caught it; so that to me was a sign that he was okay."

On Chris Paul's play: "He was not scoring but other guys were. Trevor (Ariza) was attacking the basket. Chris does not have to score to control the game. We just need to get other guys to step up and make baskets. Carl (Landry) had a decent game tonight. And when it's time for him to take over, he will pick his spots. He will admit that he struggled with that most of the year trying to figure out when to be aggressive and we do not have David West right now, so we need him (Paul) to be aggressive. He needs to fill David's shoes and with everybody on our bench, so Chris has to show more responsibility. It's unfortunate that he gets the criticism that he gets when he does not play like this on a night-in, night-out basis."

Hornets Guard Chris Paul

On the pass to Jarett Jack: "D Fish is an outstanding defender. He was playing pretty good defense on me. So, we saw Kobe was hobbling a little bit, so we decided to throw a ball screen and figured they would probably switch. I made a move, attacked, and Jarett Jack saved me, because I was about to take one of the worst shots I had taken all game. I drove, tried to get some space, Kobe played good D and was on my right side. I didn't have a shot and thank the Lord I saw J Jack out the corner of my eye."

On the playoffs: "When you get to the playoffs, nobody feels sorry for you. Nobody. They don't care what's wrong with your ankle, what's wrong with your knee, or anything like that. This is where players are made. I just look at it as a great opportunity for us as a team to forget about the regular season and seize the moment."

On his aggressive play: "I play with a chip on my shoulder, regardless, day in and day out. I'm not trying to make a statement. I guess I try to do that every time I play. There's nothing I'm trying to do new, I'm just being me."

Hornets Forward Trevor Ariza:

"Going into the game and being aggressive was something that we talked about. When I'm aggressive early, our team starts to go. Defensively, we played team defense. You can't really guard a player like that one on one. So, our weak side players, Omeka and all of them, they played great."

Hornets Guard Marco Belinelli:

"We're playing against maybe the best team in the league. Ron Artest is one of the best defensive guys in the league. I decided to first of all, make a good defense because the defense wins the game. At the same time, I try to be aggressive. I know I missed a couple of shots, but every shot was good. I just need to score. I think the next game is going to be great. I work a lot on my shot. It may be a little bit mental. I don't want to think too much about my shot. I just have to stay positive."

Hornets Guard Willie Green:

"Just to see him take over the way he has, it's been spectacular. The two games before this, the Lakers got ahead of us and we weren't able to get the lead back. They kept us at arm's length. So tonight, we were able to get the lead and we tried to do the same thing. Just take care of the lead, take care of the basketball, and execute. Like I said, when you're playing against a team that's as good as these guys are, you've got to be clicking on all cylinders. Tonight was one of those nights where we came together as a team and we did what we needed to do to get the win."

Hornets Center Aaron Gray:

"Trav was super aggressive. Chris was aggressive. Jarret Jack came in aggressive. We just had guys that weren't settling for the jumper. That's a strong, physical team and you have to match that. If you don't, that gives them confidence and that leads to them playing more efficiently offensively and defensively. We're just working through it. Coach is doing a great job. If I'm being effective, if he feels like I help this team, he goes with me. If not, we need to put someone else in there. I think he knows that I just want to win. So at whatever cost it is, whoever has to sacrifice, whatever we have to do…that's what needs to be done."

LAKERS VS. HORNETS GAME 4 PREVIEW

By BRETT MARTEL

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Chris Paul insisted he could not remember exactly how or when he wound up with a left thumb injury that forced him to practice with a black wrap on his left hand on Saturday.

He did have an excuse, though.

"We've got more stuff to worry about than my thumb ... such as winning this game," Paul said of the Hornets' Game 4 matchup on Sunday night with the Los Angeles Lakers, who lead the best-of-seven, first-round series 2-1.

"It's a big game for us. It's 2-1. It's nothing to stress about or anything like that, but I think tomorrow is a game we really need to win," Paul said.

Paul expected to be fine for Sunday's game and Hornets coach Monty Williams said his All-Star guard did not appear to be limited by the injury to his non-shooting hand.

The Hornets can ill-afford to be without Paul at his best. He has averaged 25 points, 10.3 assists, five rebounds and two steals during the postseason. His 33-point, 14-assist performance in Game 1 was the main reason the Hornets were able to open the series with an upset on the road.

The Hornets hoped to get a boost from returning home after surprisingly splitting the first two games in Los Angeles. Instead, the Lakers walked out of a jam-packed, boisterous New Orleans Arena with a 100-86 win, the most lopsided result of the first three games.

Kobe Bryant was his typical prolific self with 30 points, but for Lakers coach Phil Jackson, the key to the win was the way Andrew Bynum 14 points, 11 rebounds) and Pau Gasol (17 points, 10 rebounds) alternated in giving the Lakers a dominant presence in the paint.

"The strength of our game kind of came back to play in this series," Jackson said. "Kobe obviously had a big game offensively, but it was really Drew in the first half and Pau in the second getting things done."

If the Lakers win on Sunday, it would give them a chance to close out the series in Los Angeles on Tuesday night and avoid having to come back to the Big Easy for Game 6 on Thursday.

A Los Angeles win also would mark the third time in four games that the visiting team had won in the series.

"It was always funny to us. Everybody talks about home court advantage," Bryant said. "We don't care about that stuff. It doesn't matter to us where we play. ... Our philosophy is, it's just a bunch of noise. That's all it is. I just block it out.

"If you have kids, you're used to dealing with that," added Bryant, who has two young daughters. "If you're trying to get something done and your kids are yelling all over the place, you've just got to focus on what you're doing."

Williams had sought to downplay any home advantage for the Hornets before Game 3, reminding his players that fans cannot shoot or rebound, and that the only way to benefit from the energy of a home crowd is play a well enough all-around game to keep the crowd engaged.

But the Hornets gave up 14 offensive rebounds, committed 14 turnovers and missed six free throws. Although they were as close as 75-70 early in the fourth quarter. They never truly threatened to take a lead in the second half.

Williams said the key is for his players to remember they've been competitive for most of the first three games and not get demoralized now that the Lakers are on the brink of taking a stranglehold on the series.

"I told the guys, 'You don't realize how close you are. You're playing against the defending champs and they're playing some of their best ball and you're right there,"' Williams said. "It's frustrating personally because for whatever reason, I'm not putting them in a position to make that run."

Part of the problem for the Hornets in Game 3 was that Paul was a non-factor in the second half, when he scored only four of his 22 points. Paul refused to use his thumb injury as an excuse, and instead blamed himself for not being aggressive enough when the Lakers made a defensive adjustment to deny him the ball.

Bryant, meanwhile, has been through enough postseasons to know that a playoff series is all about adjustments, both during and between games.

Indeed, Williams spent Saturday's practice working on ways for the Hornets to make scoring inside and rebounding harder for the Lakers. Meanwhile, some Hornets players have talked about Game 4 being a must-win.

Rather than seize upon that as a sign that the Hornets are in trouble, Bryant said the Lakers need to see it as a reason to ramp up their own efforts.

"We have the series lead. That doesn't mean we're in command of the series," Bryant said. "So their approaching it as a must-win is just a bigger challenge for us to come out and try to match that energy. It should be fun."

Bryant also is drawing motivation from the fact that the game is taking him away from home - and his children - on Easter Sunday.

"My girls said, 'Well, just win. It's OK (to be away on the holiday) if you win. Just don't lose,"' Bryant said.

Then the five-time NBA champion added with a grin: "I don't know where they get that attitude."

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited