The AP reports: Rasual Butler hit a 3-pointer as time expired to cap a final minute full of dramatic plays, and the Hornets improbably survived the Kings’ late rally for a 111-110 victory on Tuesday night, improving their playoff position by the slimmest of margins… David West matched his career high with 40 points despite injuring his ankle in the second quarter, and Chris Paul had 15 points and 15 assists as the Hornets snatched a win from the Kings, who thought they had it when Udrih beat the shot clock with a fallaway that looked like a terrible idea until it went in. Kings owner Gavin Maloof leaped onto the court to celebrate, and Divac beamed with pride… Andres Nocioni hit five 3-pointers while scoring 23 points and Kevin Martin added 20 for the Kings, who hung Divac’s No. 21 jersey in the Arco rafters during a halftime ceremony. Francisco Garcia scored 19 points, hitting two big shots and blocking Paul’s layup from behind in the final 2 minutes, yet Sacramento still failed to win consecutive games for the first time since early November.
