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Paul, Hornets look to sweep reeling Heat

Apr 2, 2008 - 2:15 PM New Orleans (51-22) at Miami (13-61) 7:30 pm EDT

MIAMI (Ticker) - The New Orleans Hornets will try to finish their six-game East Coast swing on a positive note when they visit the lowly Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Chris Paul had 19 points and 12 assists to help New Orleans escape Tuesday with a 98-97 victory over the Orlando Magic on the fifth stop on its road trip.

The win also kept the Hornets percentage points better then the San Antonio Spurs (52-23) for the best record in the Western Conference with nine games remaining on the schedule.

New Orleans is aiming to capture a season-series sweep of Miami, which dropped a 114-88 decision in the first meeting in the in New Orleans on January 11.

Paul is averaging a double-double in five career matchups in the series with 16.8 points and 10.6 assists.

The Heat finally returns home after dropping all four games during their road trip, including Monday's 105-85 setback to the Indiana Pacers.

"We're in no race for the playoffs, so all we can do is get better every time we step on the court and get ready for next year," said Miami rookie Daequan Cook, who led the way with 16 points in the loss.

Taken 21st overall in June's draft out of Ohio State after just one year of college ball, Cook had missed the previous two games due to a concussion.