There was plenty of intrigue hours before the New Orleans Hornets met the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night, resulting from a player-coach spat that forced Kings Coach Paul Westphal to banish starting center DeMarcus Cousins from Power Balance Pavilion.

Westphal, who indicated that Cousins had demanded a trade, calling that “just the tip of the iceberg,” told Cousins to stay at home instead of coming to the arena to play against the Hornets.

The Kings were visibly undermanned in the post and along the front line, but they nonetheless scored an emotional 96-80 victory against New Orleans as Westphal, who has a 49-115 record with the Kings in his first two seasons, desperately tried to regain control of his team’s direction.

The way Sacramento played in the second half, overcoming the Hornets’ inside advantage by increasing defensive intensity and finding shooting range, Westphal’s actions seemed well received.

“I think it’s time for this solution,” Westphal said. “You can only have so many chances, then something has to be done. It’s time that something has to be done.”

With Cousins out of the lineup, Sacramento was forced to go with undersized, 6-foot-6 Chuck Hayes in the middle, sliding 6-9 J.J. Hickson over to Hayes’ customary power forward spot.

The Hornets, with the superior size of 6-10 Emeka Okafor and 7-footers Chris Kaman and Jason Smith, dominated Sacramento on the glass, which kept New Orleans close despite another miserable shooting effort, especially in the first half.

New Orleans had a plus-12 rebounding advantage through the first half, 36-24, and had 14 offensive rebounds.

Nonetheless, Hornets Coach Monty Williams was certainly not conceding any advantages despite the void left by Cousins’ absence.

“For us, we’re in no position to do that,” Williams said. “We’re undermanned (shooting guard Eric Gordon missed his third straight game with a bruised right knee). They have young bigs over there who can step up. They’ve got (J.J.) Hickson, they’ve got (Jason) Thompson. Those guys have been chomping at the bit wanting time.

“Obviously Cousins is a big part of what they do. He is, in my opinion, one of the best bigs in the league. So when you have a situation like that, guys will want to step up and show they deserve more minutes. And we can’t allow that to mess with who we are. We have to go out there and play the Kings and not what their lineup might look like.”

Williams had good reason for his concern.

The Kings increased their defensive pressure in the second half, forcing turnovers and capitalizing on New Orleans mistakes, while heating up from the field just enough to build a substantial cushion.

Cousins has had his difficulties with Westphal since coming into the league last year as a rookie.

By Sunday, after a reported shouting match between the two following the Kings’ 114-92 loss to the Knicks, Westphal had had enough.

Sacramento players were caught off guard when they arrived at the arena to learn of Westphal’s actions.

“I think that each individual player will have a different way of looking at it,” Westphal said. “At the same time, we have a game tonight, we’re going to go play it, and we’re going keep trying to build this team with the people who want to take it in the same direction that everybody wants to go.

“I think, I hope that DeMarcus has a change of heart and joins up with full reinstatement. That’s all up to him. I hope that. This will give him the best chance to do that, and if he chooses not to do that, then we’ll be better off moving forward in the same direction. It’s just something that I think the team can use to band together, which is the most important thing for a new team.”

Certainly on Sunday night, Westphal’s message had gotten across to the rest of his team.

Sacramento battled back in the second half, building a lead of as many as 20 points while the Hornets appeared to be settling for too many outside shots and playing generally carelessly.

The Kings were led by Tyreke Evans, who had 27, while former LSU and Hornets guard Marcus Thornton put in 25 and John Salmons had 13.

For the Hornets, Kaman had 14 points and 15 rebounds, Okafor 13 and 12 and Trevor Ariza had 17 points.

Sacramento’s starting backcourt of Evans and Thornton outscored Hornets starters Jack and Belinelli 62-12.

New Orleans did not make a 3-point basket in 15 attempts, breaking a club record.

Westphal, in a statement he issued late Sunday afternoon, says he took the drastic step because of continued difficulty with Cousins.

“When a player continually, aggressively, lets it be known that he is unwilling to embrace traveling in the same direction as his team, it cannot be ignored indefinitely.”

Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3814.

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry never had a problem with his team’s effort and figured it was only a matter of time before the Suns would snap out of their shooting slump and secure their first victory of the young season.

Hakim Warrick scored 18 points in a reserve role, Channing Frye added 10 points and 16 rebounds, and the Suns handed the New Orleans Hornets their first loss, 93-78 on Friday night.

“When you look at the schedule and you’re 0-2, you think there’s a chance you’ll go 0-66,” Gentry said. “You look at the schedule after you win and you say, ‘Oh, we can do this or we can do that.’ It’s all psychological … though. You’ve just got to go out and play. We’ve been doing a good job of competing, but our offense has been so stagnant. Tonight, we got out and ran.”

Jared Dudley added 16 points, while Steve Nash dished out 12 assists for the Suns, who had shot 40 percent through two losses to open the season, including one to New Orleans in their home opener Monday night.

“We made a few more shots, but more than that, we continually created offense,” Nash said. “To be consistent in creating good offensive opportunities was a step in the right direction because in the first game against New Orleans, I thought we missed some shots we usually make. But in our second game (against Philadelphia), we just looked really hesitant, out of synch and kind of like we were dumbfounded a little bit.”

Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon missed a second straight game with a bruised right knee, and this time New Orleans could not compensate for the prolific scorer’s absence.

Carl Landry led New Orleans with 17 points, while Emeka Okafor had 10 points and 16 rebounds, but the Hornets shot only 29 percent (26 of 90), the second worst shooting performance in team history.

“We’ve got scorers on this team. Everybody on this team can average double-digit points. Just the ball didn’t fall,” Landry said. “It’s unusual for a team to shoot (29) percent for the game. Unfortunately that was something we did tonight. It will turn around.”

Gentry thought his team’s intensity on the defensive end, more so in terms of contesting shots than rebounding, played a big role in the Hornets’ shooting struggles.

“We did a great job of challenging everything at the rim,” Gentry said. “It wasn’t our offense. It was our defense that won the game.”

Suns center Marcin Gortat scored 12 points and blocked four shots while playing with a splint on his injured right thumb. Shannon Brown added 11 points and Grant Hill 10 for Phoenix, which shot 42 percent (33 of 78). Warrick was 6 of 12 from the floor and 6 of 7 on free throws.

Jarrett Jack scored 12 points and Marco Belinelli grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which outrebounded Phoenix 57-47 and had 24 offensive boards, more than any team in the NBA in this first week of the season.

The Hornets had 23 second-chance points, but could have had a lot more if not for their shooting woes.

“We didn’t play hard, and that’s a sign I didn’t do what we needed to do … to have the team ready,” Hornets coach Monty Williams said. “We couldn’t throw it in the ocean. That happens on occasions, but our defense was not there tonight.”

The Hornets got away with poor shooting in the first half, but it finally caught up with them halfway through the third quarter, when they were still just below 30 percent again (17 of 59).

Nash pulled up for a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 61-51 lead. Dudley then scored inside after baiting Chris Kaman to leave his feet on a ball fake. Frye followed with a 3 from the corner that fell through after a high bounce off the rim. Then Gortat capped a 10-0 run with an inside basket that made it 68-51.

New Orleans was unable to get any closer than nine points after that.

New Orleans hit only four of its first 20 shots (20 percent), but trailed only 16-14 at that point. Halfway through the second quarter, the Hornets were 10 of 35, but still trailed by only four after Okafor’s free throws.

Soon after, the Suns raced to their first double-digit lead when Nash fueled a 6-0 spurt with fast-break feeds to Hill for a layup and Warrick for a dunk, making it 43-33.

New Orleans finally got over 30 percent — barely — when Belinelli hit his second 3 and Greivis Vasquez set up Okafor’s dunk to make it 52-45 at halftime.

“When you look at the schedule and you’re 0-2, you think there’s a chance you’ll go 0-66,” Gentry said. “You look at the schedule after you win and you say, ‘Oh, we can do this or we can do that.’ It’s all psychological … though. You’ve just got to go out and play. We’ve been doing a good job of competing, but our offense has been so stagnant. Tonight, we got out and ran.”

Jared Dudley added 16 points, while Steve Nash dished out 12 assists for the Suns, who had shot 40 percent through two losses to open the season, including one to New Orleans in their home opener Monday night.

“We made a few more shots, but more than that, we continually created offense,” Nash said. “To be consistent in creating good offensive opportunities was a step in the right direction because in the first game against New Orleans, I thought we missed some shots we usually make. But in our second game (against Philadelphia), we just looked really hesitant, out of synch and kind of like we were dumbfounded a little bit.”

Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon missed a second straight game with a bruised right knee, and this time New Orleans could not compensate for the prolific scorer’s absence.

Carl Landry led New Orleans with 17 points, while Emeka Okafor had 10 points and 16 rebounds, but the Hornets shot only 29 percent (26 of 90), the second worst shooting performance in team history.

“We’ve got scorers on this team. Everybody on this team can average double-digit points. Just the ball didn’t fall,” Landry said. “It’s unusual for a team to shoot (29) percent for the game. Unfortunately that was something we did tonight. It will turn around.”

Gentry thought his team’s intensity on the defensive end, more so in terms of contesting shots than rebounding, played a big role in the Hornets’ shooting struggles.

“We did a great job of challenging everything at the rim,” Gentry said. “It wasn’t our offense. It was our defense that won the game.”

Suns center Marcin Gortat scored 12 points and blocked four shots while playing with a splint on his injured right thumb. Shannon Brown added 11 points and Grant Hill 10 for Phoenix, which shot 42 percent (33 of 78). Warrick was 6 of 12 from the floor and 6 of 7 on free throws.

Jarrett Jack scored 12 points and Marco Belinelli grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which outrebounded Phoenix 57-47 and had 24 offensive boards, more than any team in the NBA in this first week of the season.

The Hornets had 23 second-chance points, but could have had a lot more if not for their shooting woes.

“We didn’t play hard, and that’s a sign I didn’t do what we needed to do … to have the team ready,” Hornets coach Monty Williams said. “We couldn’t throw it in the ocean. That happens on occasions, but our defense was not there tonight.”

The Hornets got away with poor shooting in the first half, but it finally caught up with them halfway through the third quarter, when they were still just below 30 percent again (17 of 59).

Nash pulled up for a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 61-51 lead. Dudley then scored inside after baiting Chris Kaman to leave his feet on a ball fake. Frye followed with a 3 from the corner that fell through after a high bounce off the rim. Then Gortat capped a 10-0 run with an inside basket that made it 68-51.

New Orleans was unable to get any closer than nine points after that.

New Orleans hit only four of its first 20 shots (20 percent), but trailed only 16-14 at that point. Halfway through the second quarter, the Hornets were 10 of 35, but still trailed by only four after Okafor’s free throws.

Soon after, the Suns raced to their first double-digit lead when Nash fueled a 6-0 spurt with fast-break feeds to Hill for a layup and Warrick for a dunk, making it 43-33.

New Orleans finally got over 30 percent — barely — when Belinelli hit his second 3 and Greivis Vasquez set up Okafor’s dunk to make it 52-45 at halftime.

Notes: Brown got a technical foul in the second quarter for arguing with officials. … Gentry also was called for a technical foul in the second quarter. … New Orleans entered the game having won four straight against Phoenix, including the last three meetings last season. … A near scuffle occurred early in the fourth quarter between the Suns’ Robin Lopez and New Orleans’ Trevor Ariza, who were each assessed technical fouls, but Brown and Jack quickly stepped between them before it escalated. … New Orleans’ offensive rebound total was higher than they had in any game last season.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

LMAO dude you should be pissed at your team, players, or coaches not the team that whipped your arses….so were you screaming at the hornets when kg,rondo, and the rest of the celts were screwing up..wow!!!

The descriptions regarding expectations for the New Orleans Hornets this season have run the gamut, all in the negative. Last in the West. Third-worst in the NBA. Train-wreck. Headed for the bottom.

Ghastly.

“That’s just fuel for the fire,” said power forward Carl Landry, ready to embark on his first full season in New Orleans — and first as the starter at that position — tonight when the team opens the season at Phoenix. “That makes us want to go out there and work that much harder to win ball games and prove everybody wrong.

“Most of the guys on this team have been the underdog most of their lives. It’s nothing new to any of us. All (Coach) Monty Williams and the front office expect of us is to go out and play hard, and that’s what we did in the first two preseason games (both against the Memphis Grizzlies) and what we’re going to continue to do for the rest of the season.”

A year ago, even with two veteran All-Stars (Chris Paul and David West) providing 40 percent of the team’s starting lineup, no one expected the Hornets to run off eight consecutive wins to open the season with a rookie head coach calling the shots, extending that to an 11-1 mark that helped create an excitement that carried through to a first-round playoff appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

But this edition of the Hornets’ roster is void of superstar faces with the exit of Paul.

And when Paul went to the Los Angeles Clippers, any positive vibes regarding a possible postseason return for the Hornets went with him.

At least by way of the national media’s way of thinking.

Williams has seen the dismal assessments. He said he really can’t disagree with the projections.

“To be honest with you I think they’re right on point,” Williams said. “They’re right to not expect anything from us. We’re inexperienced. We don’t have a group that’s been together for a while. We have a relatively young team.

“What people expect out of us, I try not to get caught up with that. Maybe you can use it as motivation, but I know that everybody is thinking this is going to be a down year for us. It never crossed our minds. We don’t talk about it, and we certainly won’t give in to it.”

The Hornets will be short-handed in the backcourt tonight against the Suns because starter Jarrett Jack will be serving a one-game, league-imposed suspension for a driving under the influence incident during last year’s All-Star break.

Who starts at point guard against Phoenix has yet to be determined.

Landry will be taking over the power forward spot occupied by the departed West — he signed as a free-agent with the Indiana Pacers — since 2003.

It’s possible that newly acquired Eric Gordon could man the point, and Marco Belinelli — last season’s starter at the two-guard spot — will be back in that role for the one game before returning to the bench for Wednesday night’s home opener against the Boston Celtics when Jack returns and Gordon assumes the off-guard starting spot. Or the Hornets could go with newly acquired Greivis Vasquez at point guard.

The trade of Paul also bolstered New Orleans’ bench, bringing former All-Star center Chris Kaman and promising small forward Al-Farouq Aminu.

Additionally, Hornets reserve forward/center Jason Smith has another season of experience, which, Williams said, greatly improves his team’s depth. Gordon’s foot speed, and Landry’s quickness also provide upgrades.

After a lockout-truncated training camp and just two preseason games, tonight’s regular-season opener should provide a better understanding of whether the Hornets will live down to the grim prognostications.

“We have so many guys who are in a different role,” Williams said. “Jarrett is the starting point guard. Marco was a starter last year. Now he’s coming off the bench. We have a new starting power forward. Jason wants a bigger role this year. Kaman, he wants to play.

“We’re a bit faster than we were last year. Eric is explosive, probably more explosive than anybody we’ve had since I’ve been here. Trevor (Ariza) is explosive. Jack pushes the ball. Carl is a bit more athletic than David was, but David is so skilled, so it’s hard to say. I do know our backup five is a ton better than most people in the league’s backup five. Chris Kaman could start on a number of teams and may end up starting this year. You just never know.”