NEW ORLEANS – David West scored 28 points in 32 minutes and the New Orleans Hornets won their fourth straight game, 112-84 over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night.

Peja Stojakovic hit five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for New Orleans (27-12), which shot 60 percent in winning for the 12th time in its last 14 games to keep pace with the leaders in the Western Conference.

The Hornets’ starters played only three quarters, which was plenty.

Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler both had double-doubles, marking the 13th time they’ve done so in the same game this season. The Hornets have won all of those games.

Paul finished with 14 points and 13 assists, while Chandler had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Reserve center Melvin Ely added 11 points.

Emeka Okafor led Charlotte with 13 points, while Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson each scored 12. Richardson, who had averaged 25 points during his previous 14 games, went 5-of-17 from the field, including 0-for-4 from 3-point range.

New Orleans took a 19-point lead by halftime and pulled away even more in the third quarter.

Stojakovic hit three 3-pointers during the period, when West added 12 of his points on a combination of determined drives to the hoop and open jump shots, usually set up by Paul.

When Paul pick-pocketed Jeff McInnis and went the other way for an uncontested two-handed dunk, New Orleans took its largest lead at 86-56 with about two minutes remaining in the third quarter. West then added a jumper, set up again by Paul, and a driving layup with a second to go in the quarter, putting New Orleans up 90-62 and allowing Hornets coach Byron Scott to empty his bench during the fourth quarter.

AP-ES-01-18-08 2226EST