Hornets 95, Suns 92
PHOENIX -- Anthony Davis scored 10 of his 20 points during the decisive third quarter, and the New Orleans Hornets snapped an eight-game road losing streak with a 95-92 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon added 17 points apiece for the Hornets, who are 5-4 in their past nine games. New Orleans won away from home for the first time since Feb. 11 at Detroit, and for the first time against a Western Conference foe since Jan. 27 at Memphis
Markieff Morris had 18 points for the Suns. Phoenix lost its ninth in a row overall and seventh straight at home -- the longest desert drought in the 45-year history of the franchise.
Luis Scola added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix, who has lost 14 of 15 overall and haven't beaten a team with a losing record -- anywhere -- since defeating Minnesota in overtime Feb. 26 at US Airways Center.
The Suns, who shot 61 percent in Friday's loss to the Golden State Warriors, kept the baskets coming early against the Hornets. They raced to a quick 9-2 lead and led 26-17 after one quarter behind 55 percent shooting and 11 points from Scola, who made five of six shots.
Phoenix pushed its lead to 11 on two occasions in the second quarter, the last at 40-29 on a Jared Dudley layup with 4:22 left in the half. However, New Orleans ended the quarter on a 10-3 run in which Gordon had six of his eight first-half points. Anderson's layup with 31.1 seconds left closed the deficit to 43-39 at the break.
The Hornets took control of the game with a 35-point third quarter. New Orleans took its first lead of the game at 49-47 on two Gordon free throws with 8:58 left in the period, and Davis capped a 16-6 run with two free throws to make it 61-53 Hornets.
Two former Suns capped the quarter. Lou Amundson fed Robin Lopez for a jam with 19 seconds left to extend the Hornets' lead to 74-62 after three quarters.
The Suns cut a 16-point New Orleans lead to 85-82 on a pair of Goran Dragic free throws with 3:03 left, but an Anderson layup and two Davis free throws gave the Hornets more breathing room, and they closed out the win.
NOTES: The Suns played without center Jermaine O'Neal (left shin bruise). ... New Orleans coach Monty Williams, on the recent struggles of Anderson, who was 1-for-18 from the field in losses to Golden State and Utah: "It's not just that he's missing shots; teams are trying to take him out. I am sure Phoenix will do the same thing. We cannot rely on what he did in the past." ...The Suns recalled guard Diante Garrett after he went down to Bakersfield of the Developmental League to play in its final game of the season on Saturday. He is now eligible to compete in the playoffs. ... Dragic came into the game averaging 24 points and seven assists over the last four games - a span which included two of the three 30-point games of his career. ... The Suns (23-54) have the worst record in the Western Conference, while the Hornets (27-50) are tied with the Sacramento Kings for second-worst.
