By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS(AP) -- Peja Stojakovic figured the New Orleans Hornets
were bound to get on a roll eventually.

After all, they were supposed to be better than the team that
made the playoffs last season.

"When you look in this room, you definitely see a lot of good,
talented players," Stojakovic said, glancing across the locker
room toward two-time All-Stars Chris Paul and David West. "It
was a matter of when are we going to start playing up to our
capabilities, and that's what we're doing."

Paul had 15 points and 15 assists, and the Hornets won for the
seventh time in eight games, 108-94 over the Los Angeles
Clippers on Wednesday night.

Stojakovic, hitting at least four 3-pointers in a game for the
ninth time this season, scored 20 points to help New Orleans
beat the Clippers a 12th consecutive time.

"The 3-point shots were huge," Paul said. "Peja gets going like
that early, we're tough to defend because now they can't help
(defend inside) and we get the pick-and-roll going."

Working that pick-and-roll with Paul was Emeka Okafor, who
scored 21 points, mostly inside with seven points coming at the
foul line. West and Marcus Thornton each scored 11 for the
Hornets, who led by as much as 21 en route to their 13th win in
their last 14 home games.

"We've been in a groove the past couple games," Okafor said.
"Today everything was working and the next thing you know we're
up 20."

Baron Davis scored 19 points, and Brian Skinner added 14 for Los
Angeles, which has lost two straight following a four-game
winning streak.

"We just didn't have a good game," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy
said. "We couldn't make outside shots. ... Making shots
energizes players and we didn't get enough energy tonight."

The bigger loss for the Clippers came off the court as the club
announced top draft pick Blake Griffin, who had yet to play in
the regular season, needs season-ending surgery on his broken
left kneecap.

"I texted him to let him know this is a minor blemish on his
career and that he would get over it," Clippers center Marcus
Camby said. "I look forward to seeing him when we get back."

The game was tied at 50 early in the third quarter when Paul's 3
and mid-range jumper fueled a 7-0 run. Paul scored 11 in the
period, including a running floater and another jumper that put
New Orleans up 77-68 late in the quarter. The Hornets made 13 of
18 shots in the period (72 percent), with Paul going 5 for 5.

The Hornets continued to pull away early in the fourth quarter
when Okafor converted a three-point play inside and Stojakovic
followed with his fourth 3 of the game to make it 84-72.

Later in the quarter, James Posey hit a 3, then Thornton
followed with two more to make it 104-83 and hasten the
substitution of any remaining starters out of the game.

"A win is a win, but a win like we had to today makes you feel a
little extra good, the fact that everybody was able to
contribute and we were able to kind of take it easy in the
closing minutes of the fourth quarter instead of having to duke
it out, fight it out for every possession," Okafor said.
"Whenever you can get a win as easy as we did tonight, pat
yourself on the back and keep going.

New Orleans hit nine 3s and shot 51.7 percent (45 of 87) for the
game. The Clippers outrebounded New Orleans 46-38, with Camby
grabbing 20 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end. But Los
Angeles shot 40.7 percent, which was not good enough to keep
pace.

The Hornets had six players score in double figures, including
Devin Brown with 10 despite going 0 for 7 from 3-point range.

Al Thornton scored 12 for Los Angeles and Eric Gordon 11.

Stojakovic hit his first three 3-point attempts and had 15 of
his points in the first half.

Coming off a 27-point, 12-rebound, 12-assist performance in the
Clippers' 104-102 loss at Memphis on Tuesday night, Davis scored
11 points in the first half against New Orleans. The Clippers
led by as much as seven in the second quarter on Ricky Davis'
3-pointer, which made it 41-34.

New Orleans then surged back ahead with an 8-0 run capped by
Posey's 3. Brown's fast-break dunk gave the Hornets a 50-48 lead
at halftime.

NOTES: The Hornets are 15-3 at home this season. ... Clippers
center Chris Kaman missed his second straight game with a sore
back ... Hornets rookie point guard Darren Collison missed his
second straight game with a bruised right knee. ... The Hornets
said team owner George Shinn had successful surgery to remove
his prostate in Baltimore, earlier Wednesday. Shinn was
diagnosed with prostate cancer in November.