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Granger leads Pacers in thumping of Hornets

Mar 4, 2012 - 5:39 AM New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Danny Granger scored 20 points, David West had 14 with 13 rebounds and the Indiana Pacers led by as many as 30 on the way to a 102-84 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday.

The Pacers had six players score in double digits and pushed their season-high winning streak to six games.

Darren Collison added 13 points, Lou Amundson and Paul George had 11 apiece and George Hill scored 10 in the victory. Amundson had a double-double in 16 minutes off the bench, getting 10 rebounds, while West stepped up in his first game as a visitor against New Orleans.

"We just took care of our business. I'm proud of the guys and happy about the win," said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. "We're playing unselfish and that's part of our identity."

The banged-up and weary Hornets were led by Jarrett Jack's 18 points and 15 from Marco Belinelli. They were coming off a 97-92 win over Dallas on Friday, but saw no carry-over momentum in their fourth game in five nights.

They played without Trevor Ariza (illness), Carl Landry (MCL sprain), Emeka Okafor (knee) and Jason Smith (concussion).

"As much as I hate losing, our guys played hard tonight and they continue to buy into the fact that they have to play hard," said Hornets coach Monty Williams. "I just thought that we couldn't score."

Indiana's current season-long win streak comes on the heels of five straight losses. Vogel said his team didn't overreact to the skid and has been able to bounce back nicely.

The Pacers, who will face a tough test at Chicago on Monday, snapped a three- game losing streak at New Orleans, shooting nearly 59 percent in the second quarter to stretch a 25-23 lead at the first buzzer to a 54-37 advantage at halftime.

Indiana ended the half on a 21-4 run after the Hornets had tied the game at 33. Granger and Collison scored six points apiece during the surge, with Collison hitting a 19-foot hook shot to beat the buzzer and make it 54-37 going into the break.

The Pacers cruised in the second half, going up by as many as 25 in the third quarter and 30 in the fourth.

Game Notes

Indiana has won three of the last four in the series...The Hornets went 2-1 on a three-game homestand and will start a four-game road trip on Monday in Portland...West played for the Hornets from 2003-11 and was signed as a free agent in the offseason.