NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- The New Orleans Hornets have dominated the series with the Utah Jazz ever since claiming their old stomping grounds.
Baron Davis scored 23 points and David Wesley added 17 as the Hornets extended their winning streak over the Jazz to four games with a 96-89 victory.
The Hornets moved from Charlotte to New Orleans prior to last season, taking the place of the Jazz, who departed the Crescent City for Utah following the 1978-79 season. New Orleans has won all three meetings with Utah since the move by an average of more than 12 points.
The Hornets continued their dominance from 3-point range, making 12-of-24 3-pointers to increase their league-leading total to 80.
"I like it," said Davis, who was 4-of-9 from the arc. "It's the way we play. We go for a lot of home run balls, and they're falling for us. We run a lot, and by running we get a lot of 3-point opportunities."
"You have to give them credit because they can do that," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "They shoot as many as anybody in the league and they make them."
New Orleans pulled away in the second quarter, when it scored 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including five 3-pointers.
The Hornets never trailed after Davis opened the quarter with a 3-pointer. They had a 34-33 edge before pulling away with an 11-2 run, highlighted by seven points from Steve Smith.
Smith made a pair of free throws and buried a runner 43 seconds later. Rookie David West and Davis made consecutive layups to give New Orleans a 42-35 lead with 4:29 left in the first half.
Utah's Andrei Kirilenko made a tip shot, but Smith sank another 3-pointer for a 45-35 cushion with a 3:07 to go.
"Baron found me, and I got a chance to hit some free throws," Smith said. "Anytime you get a chance to hit some free throws and get in a little rhythm, I felt pretty good. You just go out there and play."
"(Smith) was big," Jazz forward Matt Harpring said. "He made 3-pointers and got to the foul line. He provided them with some nice offense."
New Orleans had its largest lead with a 52-39 halftime advantage and answered comeback attempts by Utah in the third and fourth quarters.
Smith finished with 15 points off the bench and Jamaal Magloire scored 12 as the Hornets avoided a three-game slide and bounced back from Tuesday's 28-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
"We have two bumps on our record against teams that we probably should have taken care of," Wesley said. "We definitely did not want to make it three losses in a row. We have to go out and make sure we do not have lapses against teams that we are supposed to defeat."
Matt Harpring scored 20 points and Kirilenko and DeShawn Stevenson added 15 apiece for the Jazz, who made just 1-of-12 3-pointers.
