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Lopez leads Nets to OT win over New Orleans

Feb 10, 2011 - 4:54 AM Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Brook Lopez sank two free throws with 24.3 seconds left in overtime, as New Jersey rallied to force the extra session then held on to edge New Orleans, 103-101.

Sasha Vujacic led the way with a career-best 25 points, while Lopez contributed 20 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Morrow added 15 points for New Jersey, which snapped its three-game losing skid.

"We played like a championship type of team. Hopefully we can carry that on to the next game," said Vujacic.

David West had a big night, scoring 32 points with 15 rebounds, while Willie Green donated 19 points and Jarrett Jack totaled 12 with five assists. Chris Paul, who was held scoreless in the first half, finished with nine points and 11 assists for the Hornets, who have lost four in a row and six of seven.

"As the point guard and the leader there is no way I should let us lose that game," Paul said of seeing a late lead slip away.

New Orleans held a five-point edge, 91-86, with just under a minute left in regulation before Jordan Farmar drained a trey with 41.4 ticks to play. Kris Humphries' slam with 12 seconds left tied the game, then West missed a jumper to win just before the buzzer, sending the contest to overtime.

Neither team could take control of the contest in the third period with West's two free throws in the final minute giving the visitors a two-point lead, 71-69. New Jersey scored eight points in succession early in the fourth period capped by two three-pointers, the last by Morrow, for an 81-73 lead.

New Orleans scored 11 of the next 13 points, tying the game at 84-84 on back-to-back buckets by Green and West. West's 19-footer tied the game again at 86-86 and Green's three put the Hornets in front with just 1:31 to play. Aaron Gray then dropped home a hook shot with 56.7 seconds remaining for the five-point lead, which in the end wasn't safe.

The game was last tied at 101-101 in overtime on two West free throws, but Lopez was fouled and made both free throws with 46 seconds on the clock. A turnover by Paul, one of seven for the point guard, was followed by a five- second violation on the Nets.

New Orleans had a chance late, but Green missed an 18-footer, then after Humphries didn't convert on either of two free throws, Paul couldn't convert on a three-pointer in the final seconds.

The Hornets jumped out to an early 10-6 lead on Green's mid-range jumper and doubled that edge to eight points on Jack's driving layup with just over two minutes to play in the period.

New Orleans took a 27-23 lead into the second stanza but went stone cold over the next 12 minutes as Paul was blanked in the opening half. New Jersey scored the first nine points of the period capped by Humphries' slam with about 9 1/2 minutes on the clock. New Orleans' lone field goal in the first seven-plus minutes came on a Jack three-pointer, and despite four field goals in the final two minutes, it still trailed by four points at 46-42 entering the half.

Game Notes

Gray finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in defeat...Travis Outlaw scored 11 points for the victors...The Nets set a season high with 12 made three- pointers (23 attempts)...New Jersey improved to 13-13 at home.