NEW ORLEANS (AP) - In a relieved New Orleans locker room, Chris Paul and James Posey chatted about all the hard fouls, all the flying bodies that more than anything defined the Hornets' first win of this postseason.

Monday's games

• Hawks 81, Heat 71 (Tied 2-2)
• Nuggets 121, Hornets 63 (Nuggets 3-1)
• Lakers 107, Jazz 96 (Lakers win 4-1)

Sunday's games

• Bulls 121, Celtics 118 (2OT) (Tied 2-2)
• Cavaliers 99, Pistons 78 (Cavs win 4-0)
• Magic 84, 76ers 81 (Tied 2-2)
• Rockets 89, Blazers 88 (Rockets 3-1)

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• Playoff results, schedule
• 2009 NBA Playoff Central
• Behrendt: Odom key to Lakers' win
• Rosenberg: Billups over AI for Hall
• Rosen: Rondo not quite elite PG
• Rosen: Jazz good; Lakers great
• Hench: 5 stars for future Finals

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"It was a terrible call," Scott said. "Chauncey Billups' (flagrant) foul on Rasual (Butler), if it would have been James Posey, they probably would have thrown him out of the game. Posey didn't do anything. He tried to hold (Andersen) up on the foul. It was a good hard foul, but to get a flagrant on the foul, you have to almost throw the guy down as well. It was a terrible call."

Billups gave Butler a bloody nose on his hard foul during a Hornets' fast break, and Butler crashed to the floor and slid across the baseline.

Before the game, Scott had his son give Paul a note reminding the point guard that great players aren't always great, just most of the time. Paul understood it as a message to forget about losses in the series' first two games and rise to the occasion with the team desperate to win Game 3.

"He's so good that he'll always get something going," Denver coach George Karl began, "but this was the first night where he kind of got everything."

Paul shot 11-of-20 with two 3-pointers and was 8-of-9 from the free throw line. He also helped the Hornets slow down Billups, who'd surpassed 30 points in each of the first two games, but finished with 16 points in Game 3.

Denver shot 40.5 percent after shooting 50 percent in each of the first two games.

"The only disappointing part of the game was our offense," Karl said. "I thought we settled. ... They were doubling Melo and I don't think we took advantage of that the way we were capable of."

Anthony still scored 25 points.

West had 19 points and nine rebounds for New Orleans. Butler scored 17 points and Sean Marks, one of only three Hornets reserves to play in the game, made key contributions with eight points and six rebounds.

Denver led 10-0 in the opening minutes and 20-6 when the Hornets took their second timeout. While Paul made four of his first five shots, his teammates were 0-for-11 until Posey's 3. Posey wound up scoring 10 points during a 13-2 run that got New Orleans back in the game. Marks added an inside basket as he was fouled.

"The game could have really gotten ugly for us," Paul said. "Those guys kept us in it."

New Orleans fought back and led by as much as 90-79 with 3:13 to go. Denver had a 7-0 run in the last 1:23, starting with Anthony's 3. Linas Kleiza then stole Peja Stojakovic's inbound pass and Denver set up for the potential winning shot.

Anthony tried to pass to Martin, who was open underneath, but Marks tipped it away as the Hornets defense collapsed inside. Anthony grabbed the ball, dribbled left and took a rushed jumper that bounced out.

Notes