(Best E Casino) - Entering the season, the New Orleans Hornets looked like a team that would be battling for the seventh or eighth spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Surprise, the Hornets are playing like one of the elite teams in the NBA.

The Hornets own a 31-12 record and are in first place in the Southwest Division. They are one game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks and 2 1/2 in front of the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs.

Starting point guard Chris Paul has continued his stellar play and should be a lock to become a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star roster. The Wake Forest product leads the Hornets in scoring (20.6 ppg) and assists (10.5 apg). Paul is shooting 48.4 percent from the field, including 34.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Power forward David West is second on the team in scoring (19.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg). West has collected 18 double-doubles this season, and is averaging 20.7 points and 8.4 rebounds in his last 10 outings.

The Hornets, who have scored over 100 points in five of their last sox contests, are a perfect 19-0 when they reach the century mark this season, and 6-4 when their opponent scores more than 100 points.

The red-hot Hornets go for their ninth straight victory when they host the Denver Nuggets on Monday at New Orleans Arena. It is the third and final meeting of the campaign between the clubs. The teams split a pair of contests at Denver.

The Nuggets have won five of six and six of their last 10 at the Hornets.

The Hornets play the first of a two-game homestand. West scored 32 points and pulled down seven rebounds, keying a fourth-quarter onslaught as New Orleans cruised past the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs down the stretch for their eighth straight win, 102-78, at the AT&T Center.

Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points and Paul netted 17 and dished out 11 assists for the Hornets, who haven't lost since getting blown out by the Lakers back on January 9th, and are now 25-2 when leading going to the fourth quarter. Tyson Chandler had eight points to go along with his game-high 12 rebounds in the victory.

New Orleans, which has captured six in a row as the host, is 15-7 at home this season. The Hornets will host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in the finale of the stand.