Hornets pull away from Heat in 4th quarter 106-77
 

09:27 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Tim Reynolds / Associated Press

MIAMI -- Tyson Chandler was a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor, and his 20-point, 10-rebound effort helped the New Orleans Hornets remain atop the Western Conference standings with a 106-77 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.


David West scored 22 points and Chris Paul added 14 points and 10 assists for the Hornets, who finished 5-1 on their six-game road trip through the East. It was also the 25th road win for the Hornets, topping what was the franchise record set 11 seasons ago.


Chandler was 6-for-6 in the opening 7 1/2 minutes as the Hornets ran out to a 21-9 lead. They never trailed, and put away the game with a 19-3 run midway through the fourth quarter.


Chris Quinn finished with 18 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for Miami, which lost its fifth straight. The Heat are 5-42 since Christmas, and now at 13-62 overall, they need to go 3-4 in the season's final seven games merely to avoid matching the worst mark in franchise history.


Miami hung with New Orleans until the fourth, but simply didn't have an answer for Chandler -- who put together the best shooting game of his NBA career. He had an 8-for-8 effort on Dec. 17 against Portland and was 8-for-9 on four other occasions.


Peja Stojakovic hit a pair of 3-pointers during New Orleans' game-deciding run in the fourth, and finished with 12 points.

more @ Hornets pull away from Heat in 4th quarter 106-77 | News for New Orleans, Louisiana | Sports | News for New Orleans, Louisiana | wwltv.com