Posted: Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 10:41 PM

Jason Smith discusses his play, and the team’s effort in win vs. Memphis Grizzlies.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The New Orleans Hornets opened the post-Chris Paul era with a preseason victory.

Jarrett Jack scored 24 points, Quincy Pondexter and Emeka Okafor added 12 apiece to help the Hornets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 97-90 on Friday night.

The Hornets, playing their first game since the trade of Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers this week, scored six straight points to take a 95-89 lead.

“That was some business that really didn’t concern us,” Jack said of the team moving on without Paul. “That was a decision the team made, and Chris made. We just played hard. That’s what we hang our hat on each and every night.”

Trevor Ariza scored 11 points for New Orleans, and Carldell Johnson finished with 10, while playing only in the fourth quarter.

Tony Allen led Memphis with 17 points, while Rudy Gay and Jeremy Pargo scored 15 each. O.J. Mayo had 12, but was 5 of 15 from the field.

None of the players acquired from the Clippers in the trade — Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu — were available for the game. That left the Hornets with only 14 players dressed out, half of them without any NBA experience.

» Cavaliers 91, Pistons 87: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Kyrie Irving’s first exhibition game was a success.

Irving scored 21 points — including five free throws in the final minute — in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over Detroit. The Pistons nearly rallied from an 11-point deficit, but they turned the ball over with a chance to tie and Irving helped seal the win from the line.

The Pistons went on a 10-0 run to cut Cleveland’s lead to one. Irving’s free throw with 30.6 seconds left made it 87-85, and Greg Monroe lost the ball in the low post on Detroit’s next possession.

Irving wasn’t in the starting lineup, but he looked comfortable in what was a sloppy game. Both teams have a lot of work to do before their season openers Dec. 26.

At halftime, Cleveland was shooting 33 percent and had 14 turnovers. Detroit was at 30 percent and 10 turnovers. The teams were sharper in the final two quarters, but this was by no means a masterpiece.

» 76ers 103, Wizards 78: At Washington, Wizards coach Flip Saunders cursed. He raised his voice. He spared no criticism, including of point guard John Wall.

Saunders ripped his best player — “He was bad,” the coach said — and most of his team for a poor-passing, cold-shooting, weak-defending display in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the first of two post-lockout exhibition games between the teams.

With new 76ers owner Josh Harris sitting behind a baseline, Lou Williams scored 19 points, and Evan Turner — chosen second behind No. 1 overall pick Wall in the 2010 draft — added 16. Relying on the core that led them to last season’s playoffs, the 76ers shot 51 percent in their first game since Harris’ group completed its purchase in October.

» Bulls 95, Pacers 86: At Indianapolis, the only thing about the Indiana-Chicago matchup that resembled a preseason game was the fact that it didn’t count in the regular-season standings.

The crowd was juiced up, and fairly large number of red-clad fans made the trip from Chicago to watch the Bulls beat the Pacers in a preseason opener for both teams that looked more like an extension of last season’s intense first-round playoff series.

Derrick Rose and Luol Deng each scored 16 points, C.J. Watson had 15, and Taj Gibson added 12 for the Bulls. New guard Richard Hamilton was in uniform but didn’t play.

Tyler Hansbrough had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Paul George added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers. Danny Granger scored 12 points for Indiana, but was just 5 for 17 from the field. Indianapolis native George Hill scored three points in his first game in a Pacers uniform after being acqured from San Antonio.

The New Orleans Hornets will have one more familiar face for Wednesday’s practice: shooting guard Marco Belinelli. Bellinelli has accepted the team’s qualifying offer, extended prior to the beginning of the 149-day lockout.

As a restricted free agent, Belinelli could have received an offer sheet from another team, with the Hornets having an opportunity to match.

In 80 games last season, Belinelli averaged a career-best 10.5 points per game. The native of Bologna, Italy is entering his fifth NBA season.

The Hornets now have six players in camp who spent the bulk of last season with the team and one more who was on the roster at the end of the regular season.

New Orleans’ qualifying offer to Belinelli was worth $3.377 million.

While one New Orleans Hornets All-Star awaits his fate, another could be on the way out. The Hornets are negotiating a sign-and-trade agreement with Boston that would send two-time All-Star forward David West to the Celtics, league sources said. Some reports have the Hornets acquiring center Jermaine O’Neal in the deal, but it could not be confirmed Saturday night.

West, 31, opted out of a contract that would’ve paid him $7.5 million this season. The Hornets had pursued re-signing him.

Meanwhile, guard Chris Paul, who played with West for six seasons, is awaiting word on a second attempt at a trade that would send him to the Lakers.

The Hornets would liked to have had West back, and Paul’s situation had no bearing on his decision.

“David made it very clear that he loves Chris, but they are not connected at the hip,’’ Hornets General Manager Dell Demps said Friday. “We have talked to David and his representatives.’’

West, a first-round pick by the Hornets in 2003, tore his left anterior cruciate ligament last season and required reconstructive knee surgery. If he joins the Celtics, he would battle for playing time behind Kevin Garnett. Former Orlando Magic and LSU power forward Brandon Bass recently was acquired by the Celtics in exchange for former LSU forward Glen “Big Baby’’ Davis.

With West out of the picture, it might lead to the Hornets zeroing in on re-siging Carl Landry, who was acquired last spring after West was injured.

Landry’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said they were still having conversations with the Hornets and several other teams. The Hornets had hoped to sign West and Landry.

Landry, who came from Sacramento in a deal for fan favorite Marcus Thornton, averaged 11.8 points with New Orleans and was its primary low-post scorer.

“We have a lot of free agents that we’re hoping to bring back,’’ Demps said. “We had some guys that had some really good seasons last year that helped us get to the playoffs.’’

Forward Trevor Ariza said he has had conversations with West, Landry and guard Marco Belinelli, who is a restricted free agent.

“Of course, you would love to have those guys back, but at the same time I do understand that it is a business,’’ Ariza said. “And that’s how they have to approach it, doing what’s best for them and their families to the fullest.

“It’s tough. David West has been here for so long. Carl and Belinelli were here last year and were a big part of our team, and they are not here right now.’’

GRAY WEIGHS OFFER: Free-agent backup center Aaron Gray is considering signing a one-year contract offer from the Toronto Raptors.

Gray averaged 3.1 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Hornets last season. He made a significant contribution off the bench in the Hornets’ first-round playoff series against the Lakers last season.

BLOG ISSUES: Hornets Coach Monty Williams isn’t a fan of the reports on the Internet about Chris Paul’s future and his team’s unsettled roster.

“It’s just a lot of speculation, blogging and tweeting,’’ Williams said after Saturday’s practice. “I’d rather tongue-kiss a maggot than tweet or blog. It’s freakin’ unbelievable. I really would.

“I don’t know how guys find time to, `Hey, I’m tying my left shoe, here goes the right, stay tuned for details.’ ’’