PORTLAND, ORE. -- Putting together a decisive 17-0 run during the last three minutes of the third quarter and first two of the fourth, the Trail Blazers remained unbeaten at home this season, dropping the Hornets 101-86 Friday night at the Rose Garden.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for New Orleans, which went 2-1 in this week's three-game West-Coast road swing. The Hornets had scratched their way back into the game early in the third quarter, and led 69-65.
But that's when Portland went on a tear and to put the game away.
The Hornets' bench kept the game close in the second quarter while the starters rested. Led by James Posey's 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, the reserves scored 21 of New Orleans' 48 first-half points.
Portland scored 10 points off six Hornets turnovers in the first half and coupled that with 54 percent shooting to hold a two-point edge.
Late in the first quarter, Hornets guard Chris Paul recorded a steal for the 99th consecutive game, and is now six shy of tying the NBA mark of a steal in 105 games in a row.
Portland, which had entered Friday night's game having won all six games at home this season, was turning up the heat defensively. In the first minute of the game, Paul couldn't beat a double-team and was forced to call a time out to avoid an eight-second half-court violation.
After the timeout, the Hornets still could not beat the clock.
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Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3814.
