"They're still not there yet," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "We're trying to get them as healthy as possible for the final push. If we rush them back before they're ready and they aggravate their injuries and miss more time, it's just not worth it." Scott said the Hornets got lucky by playing a string of games against non-contenders, making it easier to be patient with his healing starters.

But that streak of games against non-contenders, which began with victories against the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies, came to and end with a 99-89 victory at home against the Warriors on Sunday.

Things get more competitive for the Hornets (44-25) in their next game when they play host to the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets on Wednesday.

"The most important thing with less than a month left in the regular season is for everybody to get a renewed focus and be healthy and ready to go as soon as the playoffs start," Scott said. "But I'm greedy. I want to rest them until they get healthy and win as many games as possible."

Two Hornets were added to the injury list Sunday as center Hilton Armstrong, who has started in Chandler's absence, suffered a cut to his right ring finger that required five stitches, and reserve forward Ryan Bowen suffered a sprained left shoulder.

Scott said Armstrong appears to have a better chance of being ready for Wednesday than Bowen does.

HORNETS 99, WARRIORS 89: The Hornets held the NBA's highest-scoring team to their lowest first-half point total in racing to a 54-37 halftime lead and coasting to their third consecutive victory.

The Hornets built the lead to as many as 23 points, and it never got to fewer than 10 points until less than two minutes remained in the game.

The score was tied at 20 before the Hornets scored the final seven points of the first quarter and built the 17-point halftime lead.

In the second quarter, the Hornets shot 50 percent (10-for-20) and the Warriors shot 21.7 percent (5-of-13) as New Orleans outscored Golden State, 27-17.