PHOENIX – Chris Paul had 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and the New Orleans Hornets held off a rally, then pulled away to beat Phoenix 108-95 Thursday night and spoil the home debut of new Suns coach Terry Porter.

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash, right, is hit with a technical foul by referee Ken Mauer against the New Orleans Hornets in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

The Hornets, who never trailed, improved to 2-0 on the heels of a season-opening victory at Golden State on Wednesday night.

Peja Stojakovic added 20 points before leaving the game with a sprained right ankle in the first few seconds of the fourth quarter. New Orleans already was without starting center Tyson Chandler, who sprained his right ankle against the Warriors.

Morris Peterson added 21 and David West 18 for New Orleans. James Posey scored 13, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, as the Hornets beat Phoenix for the fifth time in a row. They were 4-0 against the Suns last season.

Steve Nash had 24 points and nine assists, and Amare Stoudemire added 21 points and 12 rebounds for Phoenix. The Suns committed 24 turnovers, resulting in 21 New Orleans points, after only 10 in their victory at San Antonio the previous night.

Down by as many as 16 in the first half and 15 in the third quarter, the Suns scored the first seven points of the fourth to cut the Hornets' lead to 81-76 on rookie Goran Dragic's 9-foot runner with 8:34 to play, his first NBA field goal.

Grant Hill's 17-footer as the shot clock approached zero cut it to 83-80 with 7:08 to play. But Posey sank a 3-pointer, Rasual Butler made another, then Posey hit one again to boost the Hornets' lead to 92-83 with 4:46 left.

Butler's second 3-pointer of the quarter made it 97-87 with 3:08 to go.

New Orleans made its first six shots to take a 14-2 lead.

The Suns made 1-of-7 shots and committed seven turnovers in an ugly first seven minutes of the second quarter. The Hornets, meanwhile, built a 49-33 lead when Shaquille O'Neal was called for goaltending on Paul's shot with three minutes left in the half.

Phoenix went on an 11-2 run to cut it to 51-44 with 41.1 seconds left, but West made two free throws, then Paul sank a 3-pointer with two seconds to play to give New Orleans a 56-44 lead at the break.

The Suns got no closer than 10 in the third quarter and were down 81-69 entering the fourth.

Notes: The Hornets play their home opener Saturday against Cleveland. ... Suns rookie Robin Lopez had three fouls and a turnover in the first 1:35 of the second quarter. ... Phoenix was called for three technicals in the first half — on Stoudemire, Porter and Nash.