Willie Green scored a season-high 31 points and sparked a fourth-quarter surge as the New Orleans Hornets posted a 109-97 home victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

Trevor Ariza added 21 points and Chris Paul delivered 12 assists for the Hornets (46-33), who shot 55.6 percent in winning their third straight. New Orleans remained one-half game behind Portland for sixth and a game ahead of eighth-place Memphis -- the Blazers and Grizzlies were also victorious Friday.

Green made all six shots for 16 points in the first half and finished 12 of 17, including 5 of 6 from behind the arc, and six points shy of his career high.

Jared Dudley had 18 points and seven rebounds for the sinking Suns (38-41), who played without Steve Nash and have dropped seven of nine.

In a first half in which the teams combined to shoot 55 percent, Green and Ariza scored four points apiece during an 8-2 closing run that provided the Hornets a 59-53 lead.

The Hornets went up 14 early in the third, but the Suns got within six entering the fourth before Green went to work again. The shooting guard drained three 3-pointers and a pair of jumpers during a blitz that pushed the edge back to 19 with five minutes left.