Rasual Butler had 20 points and six rebounds for New Orleans, which played without Chris Paul (right ankle), Peja Stojakovic (lower back) and David West (right forearm/elbow). Desmond Mason had 17 points for the Hornets, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Earl Boykins scored 26 for Denver, which lost for the first time in three games. Allen Iverson scored 21 points -- shooting just 6-of-22 from the field -- while Yakhouba Diawara scored 14 for the Nuggets.

The Hornets were down, 83-79, four minutes into the fourth quarter when they went on a 7-0 run to go ahead, 86-83. Butler scored five of the seven.

Later in the fourth, the Hornets went on a 7-2 run to go up, 93-87 with 1:39 left to play.

The Nuggets are 2-2 since acquiring Iverson in a trade with Philadelphia.