The New Orleans Hornets bounced back from a poor effort Tuesday night to compete toe to toe with the one of the best in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the end, OKC escaped with a 92-88 victory.

Three rookies played great for the Hornets, with Brian Roberts (16 points, 4 assists, 2 steals) leading the way. The 26 year old rookie out of Dayton, who spent the last 4 years playing ball in Germany, showed the league that he isn't afraid of taking big shots. Roberts sunk a 3 pointer with under 10 seconds to go in regulation, cutting the Thunder lead to 1. After Kevin Durant made 1 of 2, the young Hornets had an opportunity to win it with a 3, but Greivis Vasquez's attempt from beyond the arc hit the front of the iron, ending their run at an upset.

Anthony Davis (11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal) played 28 minutes off the bench, making an impact on defense. His length inside helped to slow down a potent Oklahoma City offense. The Thunder lead the NBA in scoring, averaging 106 a game. New Orleans held OKC to a season low first quarter (17) and first-half (36) points.

Austin Rivers hit a few big 3 pointers as well, going 2-5 from beyond the arc. He finished the night with 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and a steal. Veteran Ryan Anderson was strong from start to finish, putting up an impressive stat line of 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assits, 1 steal, and 1 block.

In the end, Kevin Durant was simply too much. The superstar forward led all scorers with 35, getting to the charity stripe 14 times. The win marks the 9th straight for OKC, matching their longest in franchise history.

The Hornets will return to New Orleans tonight and prepare for a Friday night matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tip-off from the Hive is set for 7:00.

More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL