Hornets 109, Lakers 100
Chris Paul scored 17 of his 33 points in a big fourth quarter as the New Orleans Hornets knocked off the host Los Angeles Lakers 109-100 in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series Sunday.
Paul added 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in a spectacular individual performance as the seventh-ranked Hornets used a fourth-quarter surge to stun the second-seeded Lakers. Carl Landry added 17 points while Jarrett Jack chipped in with 15 in a reserve role.
Kobe Bryant led the way with 34 points for the Lakers, who were torched for 36 fourth-quarter points and will look to bounce back when they host Game 2 on Wednesday night. Ron Artest added 16 points and 11 rebounds in defeat.
The plucky Hornets led by one after a hotly contested three quarters, and the advantage grew to eight on a Willie Green jumper with 8:44 remaining.
The Lakers closed to within two on a Bryant 3-pointer at the midway point of the quarter, but Paul restored New Orleans' edge with consecutive jumpers. Paul extended the lead to double digit with four straight points later in the period, and Los Angeles didn't challenge the rest of the way.