Stojakovic hits 10 3s as Hornets win

[Gyype]

LOS ANGELES - Peja Stojakovic made a franchise-record 10 3-pointers, and Chris Paul established another Hornets team mark with 21 assists Tuesday night in New Orleans' 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Stojakovic missed just three of 13 shots from behind the arc and finished with 36 points. He was just 2-of-8 shooting two-pointers. The Hornets went 14-of-25 on 3-pointers.

Paul had 19 points to go with his assists. David West added 22 points for the Hornets as they ran their record to 4-0 to tie their best start, set last season.

Kobe Bryant had 28 points for Los Angeles, taking just 20 shots and making 11 of them. He also had seven assists and six rebounds. Ronny Turiaf had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had 13 rebounds.

Stojakovic's 3-point bonanza rewrote the Hornets' record of eight, set by David Wesley in 2002. The former team mark for assists was 19 by Muggsy Bogues in 1989.

Stojakovic hit three consecutive 3-pointers to close out the third quarter as New Orleans opened an 89-80 lead and stayed in front the rest of the way. He scored 17 in the period, including going 5-of-7 from behind the arc.

Bryant took as many shots in the third quarter, seven, as he had in the entire first half, making four of them and scoring 10 points.

Los Angeles was without Kwame Brown, who sat out the game with bursitis in his right heel. Brown, averaging 5.7 points and 7.3 rebounds this season, said he expects to be able to play on Friday when the Lakers host Minnesota.

New Orleans never trailed in the first half, although Bryant made three free throws to draw the Lakers even at 55 with 9 seconds remaining in the second quarter after they trailed by 12 early in the period.

But Paul responded with a short jumper with 1.1 seconds before halftime left to give the Hornets a 57-55 lead at the break.