Desperate to end a three-game losing streak, the New Orleans Hornets got needed help Wednesday night with the return of shooting guard Eric Gordon, who had missed the previous four games with a bruised right knee. But even with Gordon scoring a team-high 22 points, it wasn’t enough for the Hornets to prevent a 101-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in front of 12,387 at the New Orleans Arena.

The Hornets (2-4) were ineffective again in the fourth quarter as their losing streak reached four games.

This time they blew a six-point lead after turning the ball over six times and allowing 60 percent shooting (12 of 20) in the final period by the 76ers. The Hornets, who have not won since a Dec. 28 game against the Boston Celtics, were outscored 34-20 in the quarter.

In every game during the streak, they have been outscored in the fourth quarter, including 24-16 in Monday night’s 94-90 loss to the Utah Jazz.

“We have to look at film before I make a rash decision,’’ Hornets coach Monty Williams said. “I know there are some things I can do better to help our guys.’’

It was Gordon’s first game back since he made the winning shot with 4.2 seconds remaining in New Orleans’ season-opening 85-84 victory against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 26.

Unlike his game in Phoenix, Gordon missed six of seven shots in the fourth quarter Wednesday night. He finished 8-of-22 and went 1-of-6 from 3-point range.

“We had too many lapses on defense where they hit some tough shots and we weren’t scoring offensively,’’ Gordon said. “We hurt ourselves by taking too many jump shots and not attacking the rim.’’

Gordon opened the game by hitting his first four shots, including a 3-pointer. His 11-point first quarter helped the Hornets take an early 13-point lead that eventually went to 14 before the first half ended with the Hornets leading 47-40.

Behind Gordon’s 20 points, the Hornets led 73-67 after three quarters, but they could not hold their momentum.

“I told our guys when you look back at a game like this, average teams lose, and teams that want to be good they find a way to win,’’ Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said.

Forward Thaddeus Young’s dunk spurred a 6-0 run that enabled the 76ers to surge ahead 89-83 with 4:18 remaining. Hornets guard Jarrett Jack made two free throws and a close-range shot to cut the deficit to 89-87.

However, point guard Jrue Holiday answered by hitting his third 3-pointer in the quarter that allowed 76ers to extend their lead to 98-89 with 46.7 seconds remaining. Besides Holiday scoring 14 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth, Philadelphia had five steals in the quarter.

“Holiday made some big plays for them down the stretch, but we should have never been in that position,’’ said Hornets backup center Chris Kaman, who scored 10 points and had eight rebounds.

John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3407.

The new-look New Orleans Hornets didn’t have a problem Friday night maneuvering around the Phoenix Suns’ defenders to get up desired shots. They just couldn’t make enough of them to stay unbeaten after a 2-0 start.

In their 93-78 loss to the Suns in front of 15,790 at the New Orleans Arena, the Hornets missed too many layups, 3-point attempts and mid-range shots.

“I didn’t have our team ready to play tonight,’’ Hornets Coach Monty Williams said. “I thought our offense affected our defense. We have to understand there is a certain way we have to play. This was a big-time learning experience for us.’’

Trailing by 18, the Hornets had five stretches Friday night of missing five or more consecutive shots. In the fourth quarter, the Hornets made only six-of-24 shots and they were held to 16 points in the third quarter.

With that kind of woeful shooting, it prevented the Hornets from getting their second win this week against the Suns, who were seeking to end their worst start in 15 years after losing their first two games.

It was the Hornets’ first loss to the Suns in five games, which dates to last season. For the first time after three games, the Hornets surrendered more than 90 points.

“To hold them under 30 percent shooting is something that’s really good for us,’’ Suns Coach Alvin Gentry said. “It wasn’t our offense, it was our defense that won the game.’’

In Monday’s opener in Phoenix, the Hornets won 85-84 with guard Eric Gordon hitting the winning shot with 4.2 seconds remaining.

But Gordon sat out his second consecutive game Friday with a bruised right knee. Unlike in Wednesday night’s 97-78 victory against the Boston Celtics, when the Hornets had five players score in double figures, the Hornets’ defensive play couldn’t offset their offensive ineptitude.

Appearing to look more like a work in progress with nine new players than in the previous two games, New Orleans made only 28.9 percent of their shots (26 of 90). It overshadowed a dominate rebounding performance with the Hornets holding a 57-47 edge.

After scoring a game-high 21 points against the Celtics, Jack made only six-of-20 shots against the Suns for 12 points. Jack sat out Monday’s game against the Suns because of serving a one-game suspension for his DUI arrest never Atlanta.

Besides Jack, center Emeka Okafor never got into an offensive flow. Okafor didn’t take his shot until nine seconds remained before halftime. He went 2-of-6 from the field for 10 points.

The Hornets’ frontcourt of Carl Landry, Chris Kaman and Okafor had been a strength in the previous two games. But they combined to make nine-of-27 shots. Kaman may had the toughest time, missing five of six shots before finishing with four points.

Landry led the Hornets with 17 points, but he made only six of 16 shots.

Shooting 31 percent, New Orleans was fortunate to go into halftime trailing 52-45. For the first time this season, they trailed by a 10-point deficit after forward Hakim Warrick’s dunk made the score 43-33 with 3:35 left before halftime. In the second quarter, the Hornets could not prevent a stretch of missing nine straight shots that led to a Suns’ 14-6 run.

In the third quarter, the Hornets were held to 16 points, which helped the Suns extend their lead to as much as 18.

“We obviously didn’t shoot the ball well,” Jack said. “We compounded it by not playing well on the other end defensively, as well. When you don’t do those things, these are the types of outcomes you’re going to get.”

New Orleans Hornets

It is difficult for me to properly convey the joy in my heart as a New Orleans Hornets fan at the outset of the 2011-12 NBA season. The Hornets top players left, David Stern mismanaged the Chris Paul trade and the national media left us for dead. However, early on in the NBA season, the Hornets are undefeated which is more than many so-called superior teams can say. Take a closer look at five “random” NBA teams with worse records than the Hornets.

New York Knicks: 1-1

The first indication that Chris Paul wanted to leave the Hornets was when he indicated that he’d like to play for the Knicks. New York played horribly in the 2011 NBA Playoffs and things aren’t much better in this NBA season. The only thing keeping the Knicks from being winless is an early season NBA matchup versus the old Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics: 0-3

I’m sure most Celtics fans will blame their 0-3 start on the loss of Paul Pierce. However, the Hornets are still undefeated in this NBA season despite Jarrett Jack and Eric Gordon each missing a game. The Hornets won their home opener over the Celtics by 19 points. It may be awhile before the Celtics are contenders in the NBA again.

Dallas Mavericks: 0-2

Of all the NBA teams with worse records than the Hornets, the Mavericks have been the least impressive. The 2011 NBA champions look like a totally different team this year. I thought Lamar Odom would help compensate for the loss of Tyson Chandler, but I was mistaken. The Hornets should finish ahead of the Mavs in the Southwest Division.

Los Angeles Lakers: 1-2

I was mortified at the prevalence of Lakers fans in the New Orleans Arena during the Hornets NBA Playoff series versus L.A. I wonder what all of those fans are thinking now. David Stern laid waste to the Lakers in the failed trade with the Hornets. Once one of the best teams in the NBA, the Lakers may no longer be the best NBA team in L.A.

Los Angeles Clippers: 1-1

I still can’t figure out why Chris Paul preferred playing for the Clippers to the Hornets. The Clippers never make the NBA Playoffs and the Hornets usually do. Early on, it looks like the Clippers need more than Paul and Blake Griffin to become an elite NBA team. I can’t wait for the Hornets to play the Clippers in New Orleans on March 22.

Other “random” NBA teams with worse records than the Hornets

Chicago Bulls: 1-1, Orlando Magic: 1-1, Utah Jazz: 0-2, Memphis Grizzlies: 0-2

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Sources

“2011-12 NBA Season Summary,” basketball-reference.com

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A new beginning? You can call it that, if you look back on the six-season era of CP3. What you had Wednesday night was a welcome-back-home to the man that spanned both eras.

I say this remembering it was at an early stage of last season, with the New Orleans Hornets on their way to coming out of the starting bocks a surprising 8-0, that I posed the question to Chris Paul.

“What do you think about your rookie head coach?’’

There was no hesitation.

“He knows how to relate,’’ came the reply from the All-Pro point guard. “All coaches are busy sending messages. In some cases, not all messages are received. Coach (Monty) Williams makes contact, and that has plenty to do with the man and his personality. You get the message because you respect the messenger.’’

The messenger at the time was 39, the youngest head coach in the NBA, and once he started talking you realized you were dealing in mutual admiration.

“Right now,’’ said Williams, “Chris could be a head coach in this league. I’m more impressed than I was before I got to know him. He knows so much more than I did at his age. His attention to detail is amazing, and when it comes to individual defense, team defense, everyone has bought into what coach is selling.’’

Dell Demps, the General Manager who hired Williams from a list of candidates, says, “whenever Monty’s involved, it’s a soft sell. Monty has a special calmness about him. He doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve. But, inside, you’ll find a competitive fire and a smart man.’’

There was the Hornets coach Wednesday, preparing to bury the Boston Celtics 97-78, preparing for the first home game in an abbreviated season of 66 games, wondering how long it would take him to assess what he had. .

Only four games into his rookie season, Williams figured it was going to take at least 25 games of an 82-game season to find out “how good, how bad, we were.’’

All he knew then was he had the best point guard, the best pick-and-roll player, in the game, and he had to do his best to keep Chris Paul as fresh as possible.

Now he’s dealing with virtually a new roster, still getting acquainted with one another, in some cases still getting acquainted with the English language.

In a way, Williams has been dealing with nothing but change from Day One on the job.

“It continues to be a learning process for most of us,’’ he said, ‘’and that’s what makes it so interesting. It’s not an excuse.’’

Williams had no excuses last season when his 12-3 Hornets lost their first home game to the San Antonio Spurs, in the hands of Gregg Popovich, the man who helped shape Williams’ coaching career.

“I was outcoached by a lot,’’ said Monty who watched a 17-point halftime turn into a 14-point loss. After shooting 62 percent in the first half, the Hornets went 5-for-15 in the third quarter and turned the ball over five times to bring the Spurs back in the game.

“Coach Pop made move after move after move, and I had no answer,’’ said Williams.

The way he handled that defeat told me the Hornets had someone who could rock with the punches that would come and never look back.

On Thursday, you had Williams’ ball club, with a roster of nine new faces, without his top scorer, Eric Gordon, the hero of an opening game victory, send a serious message as to what you can accomplish with a take-it-to-you defense for a full 48 minutes.

Quite simply, the Hornets held a team known for its aggressive defense with one that not only limited the men in green to 78 points, but also limited them to 37 percent shooting, by forcing nine turnovers, by forcing seven steals, by blocking a dozen shots.

Meanwhile, Williams watched five of his players hit in double figures, led by Jarrett Jack’s 21 and Carl Landry’s 20.

He also watched 7-footer Chris Kaman come off the bench and contribute 27 minutes that included 12 points, some from the outside, nine rebounds and three blocks.

All things considered, two games into a new start, there’s more sunshine than clouds.

Welcome home, Monty Williams.

Posted: Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 10:12 PM

In season-debut, Jack wanted to contribute any way he could.