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Hornets set for showdown with hosting Warriors

Feb 15, 2011 - 3:44 PM (Sports Network) - The slumping New Orleans Hornets kick off a quick two-game western road trip by visiting the Golden State Warriors in Oakland.

New Orleans, which will also visit Portland on its brief trek, has lost seven of its last nine games and dropped from third to fifth in the Western Conference playoff hunt.

The club's latest setback came on Saturday in the Big Easy when Derrick Rose outdueled Chris Paul, scoring 13 of his 23 points in the final two quarters, as the Chicago Bulls used a strong second half to beat the Hornets, 97-88.

Marcus Thornton scored a season-high 24 points off the bench to lead the Hornets, who were coming off a victory in Orlando. David West had 17 points, while Paul finished with 15.

"They were just able to clamp down," said Hornets guard Jarrett Jack. "Force us into some late shot clock situations. They were able to take over the ball game."

The Warriors, meanwhile, opened up a two-game homestand by topping Oklahoma City on Sunday when Monta Ellis scored 33 points and handed out seven assists, and Stephen Curry and David Lee each had terrific second-half performances to help guide Golden State to a 100-94 win.

Curry finished with 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting and recorded 13 assists with no turnovers for Golden State, which has won five of its last seven games overall. Lee totaled 14 of his 23 points in the second half and grabbed 19 rebounds to highlight a lopsided 47-33 advantage on the glass for the victors.

"The guys did a good job," Warriors coach Keith Smart said. "I think we knew we had to rebound, that was part of pregame idea of what we had to do in this game to have a chance. I just think our guys did a great job of going to the glass early."

The Hornets have won four of their past six games with Golden State, including a 112-103 win at ORACLE Arena back on Jan. 26 in which the team shot a sizzling 62.2 percent.