Speedy shoots Hornets past Grizzlies

In addition to Claxton, who came off the bench, all five of the Hornets’ starters finished in double figures, with David West netting 19 points with 12 rebounds. P.J. Brown chipped in with 18 points and nine rebounds in the win, the Hornets first in three games.

Chris Paul donated 13 points and eight assists in the victory.

Pau Gasol scored 25 points with 16 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who lost for the third time in their last four games. Bobby Jackson added 22 points and Mike Miller donated 11 off the bench in the loss.

The game was closely fought through the first three quarters but the Hornets began to take control of the game early in the fourth. New Orleans’ Kirk Snyder opened up the frame with five straight points and Brown’s bucket gave the Hornets a 74-65 lead two minutes in.

Back-to-back baskets by West and Claxton made it an 80-70 New Orleans lead with 7:24 remaining. Later, Brown netted two buckets around a Miller jumper to extend the Hornets’ lead to 87-78 with 3:04 left.

Memphis connected on a pair of three-pointers down the stretch to make it a 93-86 contest with nine seconds left, but it was too late as the Hornets rolled to the victory.

Memphis jumped to a 13-4 edge early in the first quarter, but the Hornets later got to within 20-17 with under three minutes left. The Grizzlies led 25-20 after the first 12 minutes.

New Orleans tied it at 29-29 early in the second as the teams battled through a tight frame that saw the two clubs tied at 45-45 heading into halftime.

The third quarter was also a close frame, with the Hornets 60-56 edge being the largest lead of the stanza. West capped the scoring in the period to give New Orleans a 67-65 lead after three.

Game Notes

New Orleans has won three of the last four meetings between the two clubs...The Grizzlies have lost seven of their last nine overall...Hornets forward Chris Anderson was dismissed from the NBA Friday for violating the league’s drug policy...Snyder and Desmond Mason each had 10 points...Eddie Jones had eight points for Memphis...The Hornets held the rebound edge at 43-37.