Hornets back in OK, host Pacers

On Wednesday, the Hornets returned to New Orleans Arena to play the first major sporting event since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city.

However, the special moment didn’t last long as the Los Angeles Lakers handed the Hornets a 113-107 defeat. Kobe Bryant scorched the Hornets for 40 points.

David West had 25 points and Chris Paul had 22 along with 10 assists for the Hornets, who have dropped two straight and three of their last four games. They are 0-2 on the current home stand and have lost three in a row at home.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City is seventh in the Western Conference playoff race and 19-11 as the host this season.

Meanwhile, after squelching a seemingly comfortable 17-point lead in the third quarter of Wednesday’s 103-99 loss to Houston, the Pacers find themselves staring down a two-game losing streak and five losses in eight tries.

Indiana led 86-69 with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter, then the Rockets took flight and shocked the fifth-seeded Pacers at the Toyota Center. Washington, Philadelphia and Milwaukee are creeping from behind in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.

Rick Carlisle’s club scored only 11 points and made 4-of-25 shots from the field in the final 12 minutes of play.

The Pacers are 0-1 on their current three-game road trip and will play at New Orleans/Oklahoma City before closing out the swing in Toronto. Indiana has lost eight of its last 11 road games and is 12-18 away from Conseco Fieldhouse this season.

Indiana won the first meeting of the season with the Hornets by a 97-75 score on February 21. It has won two of the last three meetings, but the Pacers have dropped two in a row and eight of 11 at the Hornets.