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Hornets blow away Kings, close in on final playoff spot

Feb 15, 2007 - 5:56 AM OKLAHOMA CITY (Ticker) -- After suffering a disappointing loss the night before, Tyson Chandler and the New Orleans Hornets wanted to make someone pay.

Desmond Mason scored 18 points and Chandler had 10 and 15 rebounds as the Hornets crushed the Sacramento Kings, 110-93.

David West had 16 points and nine rebounds and Devin Brown added 15 points for the Hornets, who absorbed a 108-104 loss to the lowly Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, dropping them one game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

"We are not a good enough team right now to take nights off and that's what we did last night," Hornets guard Chris Paul said. "We have to bring it every night."

Chandler, who has averaged 12.6 points and 18.4 rebounds in his last five games, extended his streak of games with 12 or more boards to a dozen.

In that span, the Hornets have won four of five and nine of their last 12 contests.

"I feel the way we are playing right now, my team needs some extra shots so my mission is to see that they get those extra shots," Chandler said. "I really don't need to touch the ball, I can create my own touches by going and getting the ball and then giving it to my teammates."

Hornets coach Byron Scott hopes his team continues to play better in the 29 remaining contests after the All-Star break.

"We will approach the games the same way that we always have, taking them one game at a time," Scott said. "To me, it is like 29 Game Sevens.

"If you want a realistic chance of making the playoffs, then that is how you have to approach it. We can't have the type of lulls that we have had going against some teams that are under .500."

Reserves Bobby Jackson and Linton Johnson had 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the Hornets, who shot 58 percent (45-of-78) en route to moving three games under .500 (25-28).

Ron Artest, who had tied a career high with 39 points in a loss to Houston on Tuesday, scored 18 and reserve Corliss Williamson added 16 for Sacramento, which lost for the third straight time.

"Well, we didn't match their intensity," Williamson said. "They had a late run at the end of the first half and we never recovered."

Kevin Martin had 15 points and Francisco Garcia added 12 off the bench for the Kings, who shot 40 percent (31-of-77) and were outrebounded, 45-33.

"I thought we played well most of the first half, but then in the last two minutes they opened up a double-digit lead," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "They then came out and played very aggressive in the third quarter. Those two stretches were really the ball game."