New Orleans 96, San Antonio 72

David West had 18 points and 10 rebounds and the New Orleans Hornets turned a battle of the league’s two hottest teams into a one-sided affair with a 96-72 trouncing of the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

Marcus Thornton scored 18 points as New Orleans (29-16) won its eighth straight game while snapping San Antonio’s eight-game winning streak.

Tiago Splitter led the Spurs (37-7) with 11 points. The 72 points were a season-low for San Antonio.

The Hornets outscored the Spurs 31-10 in the third quarter to turn a close game into a rout. New Orleans led 72-48 entering the final quarter.

New Orleans has won its last two games by a combined 65 points after routing Atlanta 100-59 on Friday.

Trevor Ariza scored 15 points and Chris Paul had 11 points and six assists for the Hornets. Emeka Okafor had 12 rebounds for his 10th consecutive double-digit game on the boards.

Tony Parker with 10 points was the only other San Antonio player to score in double figures. Tim Duncan had just six points and Manu Ginobili scored a season-low four points on 2-of-8 shooting.

This is New Orleans’ second eight-game winning streak of the season. The Hornets opened the campaign with eight straight victories.

• New Orleans will play their next game at home against Oklahoma City. The Hornets have a W/L % of .714 after a win and .529 after a loss.
• San Antonio will play their next game on the road against Golden State . The Spurs have a W/L % of .838 after a win and .857 after a loss.