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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Hornets beat Heat to reach playoffs

Associated Press

MIAMI — New Orleans is going back to the playoffs, thanks in large part to dramatics from Rasual Butler and David West.

Butler hit a game-tying 3-pointer with no time remaining in regulation, West made the go-ahead jumper with 8.8 seconds left in overtime, and the Hornets stunned the Miami Heat, 93-87, last night.

Chris Paul finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Peja Stojakovic added 24 points for the Hornets (48-29), who not only clinched their postseason berth but stayed thickly in the hunt for home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

"To clinch a second straight playoff is a good feeling for our guys and we're going to take it," New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. "I congratulated them in the locker room. Even though it's not our main goal, it's still one of our goals."

Dwyane Wade scored 32 points before getting ejected with 1.4 seconds remaining and Michael Beasley added 25 for Miami (41-37), which remained a half-game ahead of Philadelphia in the race for the No. 5 spot in the East postseason chase.

West had eight points in overtime, the last coming on the jumper that put New Orleans ahead for good.

The Heat — of course — gave the ball to Wade. But he lost the ball, never getting a shot away, and Stojakovic sealed it with a pair of free throws with 2.3 seconds left.

LAKERS 122, KINGS 104:

Pau Gasol scored 26 points, Kobe Bryant added 22 and visiting Los Angeles (62-16) closed to a half-game of Cleveland for the best record in the NBA.

BOBCATS 101, 76ERS 98:

Raymond Felton scored a career-high 32 points and Gerald Wallace added 29 points, including the final four of the game, as host Charlotte snapped a three-game losing streak.

HAWKS 118, RAPTORS 110:

Josh Smith had 25 points and seven rebounds, and visiting Atlanta used 11 for 22 shooting from 3-point range to beat Toronto.

SPURS 99, THUNDER 89:

Tim Duncan had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Tony Parker added 21 points and 10 assists as San Antonio beat host Oklahoma City.

TRAIL BLAZERS 96, GRIZZLIES 93:

Brandon Roy scored 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter as visiting Portland overcame an 18-point second-quarter deficit to snap Memphis' four-game winning streak.

ROCKETS 93, MAGIC 83:

Yao Ming had 20 points and 16 rebounds to outplay Dwight Howard (13 points, 10 rebounds) as host Houston topped Orlando.

BULLS 110, KNICKS 103:

Kirk Hinrich scored 25 points and host Chicago rallied behind a 15-0 fourth-quarter run.

TIMBERWOLVES 87, CLIPPERS 77:

Ryan Gomes had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Kevin Love added 13 points and 15 rebounds to lead visiting Minnesota to victory.

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