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It was pretty much a given that the New Orleans Hornets would make the playoffs, in light of their current win-loss record; that playoff positioning was solidified a bit as Chris Paul scored 33 points, leading New Orleans to a 118-110 win over the New York Knicks Friday night at New Orleans Arena.? The victory allowed the Hornets to become the first Western Conference team to grab a playoff berth.

Both teams shot very well – New Orleans shot 51.2% from the floor while New York shot an even better 55% – especially in the first quarter; the Hornets shot 57% in the period.? New Orleans trailed 48-40 before Paul scored 13 points in the last 6 minutes of the first half to give them a 60-56 lead at halftime.? Paul and Peja Stojakovic would take over in the fourth quarter after the Hornets fell behind; Paul came up with a steal and fed Bonzi Wells for an easy layup, giving New Orleans a 97-95 lead.?

The Knicks called a timeout and reduced their deficit to 99-98, but Stojakovic made 2 three-pointers to give the Hornets a 107-100 lead with 5:56 left in the game; Paul would then make?5 straight free throws, giving New Orleans a 117-104 advantage – icing the game.? New Orleans was led by the aforementioned Paul with 33 points, 4 rebounds, 15 assists and 2 steals while Stojakovic scored 22, including 4 treys, 4 rebounds, an assist and a steal; David West added 17 with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks while Tyson Chandler pitched in with 14, along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

New York was led by Jamal Crawford with 29 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists while Nate Robinson scored 23 with 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal; Zach Randolph added 22 with 12 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals and a block.? New Orleans (53-22) hope to build some momentum going into the playoffs as they remain home to host the Golden State Warriors on Sunday while New York (20-56) returns home to host the Orlando Magic – also on Sunday.?