Hornets stay in first with road win over Magic

NEW YORK (Reuters) - They do not get the same respect as the other top teams in the NBA, but the New Orleans Hornets are flying high at the top of the Western Conference.

While rarely talked about as genuine title contenders, the Hornets escaped Orlando with a 98-97 win over the Magic on Tuesday to maintain their lead over San Antonio in the West.

"It doesn't even matter right now," guard Chris Paul told reporters after his team improved to 51-22 on the season.

"We have nine games left and we do not pay much attention to that."

The win boosted their road mark to 24-12.

"It's just the mentality," said New Orleans coach Byron Scott. "We won 15 last year (on the road) and we talked about that we have to win 20-plus this year. Right from training camp we understood we had to be a good road team."

Peja Stojakovic was just 1-for-10 shooting when he hit a three-pointer and three free throws in the final minute as the Hornets came back from nine points down at the half.

"It's a great team," said Stojakovic. "Orlando is playing great basketball.

The Hornets end a six-game road trip on Wednesday at the Miami Heat.