NBA Game Summary - New York at New Orleans/Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City, OK (Basketball News) - David West had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets over the New York Knicks, 111-100, at the Ford Center.

Desmond Mason added 19 points for the Hornets, who played without starting point guard Chris Paul. The leading Rookie of the Year candidate missed his first of an expected two-game absence due to a rib injury.

Speedy Claxton started in place of Paul and had 18 points and 11 assists, as the Hornets have won two straight and six of seven.

"Monday is a possibility," said Hornets head coach Byron Scott of Paul’s return. "It just depends on how well his process of healing goes. We didn’t want to take a chance on these couple of games."

The Hornets play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Jalen Rose had 20 points and Quentin Richardson tallied 14 for New York, which had seven players score in double figures but still lost for the eighth straight time.

Jackie Butler and Jamal Crawford each had 13 points and Maurice Taylor and Channing Frye tallied 12 apiece for the Knicks, who have dropped 14 of 15 overall. Eddy Curry rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points.

"This was really frustrating," said Curry. "We kept trying to get a spark, just something to get us going. The load is extremely heavy on everybody."

New York drew within 91-90 on a pair of Frye free throws with 6:54 left, but the Hornets answered with a 14-1 burst to pull away. P.J. Brown started the surge and West capped it with a jumper at the 2:41 mark for a 105-91 cushion. Brown had five points and Claxton tallied four during the run, which allowed the Hornets to cruise to the finish.

Brown ended with 11 points.

New York, which has dropped seven in a row on the road, held a 32-25 lead after one quarter and carried a slim 59-57 edge into the break.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City, which has won five in a row as the host, rallied in the third to grab an 87-80 lead going into the fourth.

The Knicks continue to play without starting point guard Stephon Marbury die to a left shoulder injury. He is expected to be out until at least the All- Star break.