OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - They're still officially the team from New Orleans, but judging by the roaring capacity crowd and the startling success of their Oklahoma City debut, the Hornets should happy to wear those "OKC" patches for a while.
J.R. Smith scored 19 points and had two electrifying dunks as New Orleans beat Sacramento, which marked the first of 35 Hornets home games in Oklahoma City.
The celebration began with a street party outside the Ford Center, then got even more lively inside the sold-out arena as the Hornets, 18-64 last season, beat a Kings team expected to contend.
P.J. Brown finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Speedy Claxton added 17 and Chris Paul, the team's No. 1 pick in this year's draft, added 13.
Peja Stojakovic scored 18 and Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 14 for the Kings.
