Final: Hornets 96, Cavs 81

The New Orleans Hornets erupted after star guard Chris Paul was taken off the court on a stretcher, storming past the Cavaliers 96-81 on Sunday.

Paul was placed in a neck brace and wheeled off the court with 4:36 left in the third quarter and the Hornets trailing 61-60. Paul’s forehead collided with Ramon Sessions and he went down immediately. He was responsive and attentive, but was taken to a hospital for precautionary measures.

The Hornets responded by outscoring the Cavs 20-5 over the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth. David West had 23 points, Marco Belinelli had 18 and Paul had 13 points and 11 assists before getting injured.

Baron Davis had 17 points off the bench for the Cavs, who were trying for their second winning streak of the season and their first since early November. Ramon Sessions had 15 points, while J.J. Hickson had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hornets entered allowing the third-fewest points in the league. They clamped down defensively after the injury to their leader, holding the Cavs to 20 points over the final 16 ½ minutes. The Cavs shot 37 percent for the game (28 of 76).