It worked as the Warriors scored 22 points over the last six-plus minutes which was more than they scored in either the first or third quarters to pull off a 91-87 upset over the Hornets at New Orleans Arena.

The win snapped the Warriors' eight-game road losing streak. And beating the team with the fourth-best record in the Western Conference on its home court assuredly provides some bit of vindication from the two heart-breaking losses the Warriors endured last week. Only the Warriors' day-after-Christmas win over Boston was more of an upset.

"On a nationally televised game, it was good for us," swingman Stephen Jackson said after totaling 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds. "We need as much confidence as we can get, and I think this is a big win for us against one of the best teams in the West on the road. Hopefully, it will kind of light of fire in us and give us some confidence going into Houston (tonight) because we need as much confidence as we can get right now. We've still got a chance."

The Warriors (15-32) had a chance to win only because of their defense, displaying the grit and scrappiness they showed early in the season. Hornets point guard Chris Paul had 31 points and eight assists, but the Warriors coerced six turnovers out of him. Paul's teammates made just 19 of 60 from the field. All-Star forward David West had 12 points on 5-for-16 shooting. Stojakovic was 3-for-11 for 11 points.

The Warriors also competed on the glass, losing the rebounding battle by one. Eight players had at least three rebounds.

"Ronny was great," Warriors coach Don Nelson said of backup center Ronny Turiaf, who had a team-high 11 rebounds in 29 minutes. "He rebounded tonight, got some really big rebounds."

The Warriors had a rough shooting night overall. Both teams did. At the end of three quarters, the game was tied 65-65 with both teams shooting 37 percent. Five minutes, 30 seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter and both teams had managed just four points.

But after two free throws by guard Jamal Crawford with 6:28 left in the game, the Warriors led 71-69. Then Maggette took over.

He got going with a couple of layups, then nailed a 15-footer. With 3:09 left, Stojakovic checked back into the game. The Warriors smelled blood.

"We were quite aware of where (Maggette) was, and we didn't think that Stoyko could guard him," Nelson said. "And he couldn't, of course."

Maggette nailed a turnaround jumper over Maggette at the 2:32 mark, putting the Warriors ahead 82-78. After Paul split a pair of free throws, the Warriors went right back to Maggette, who had Stojakovic posted up. Jackson zipped a pass inside, and Maggette converted a layup and drew the foul. His free throw put the Warriors ahead 85-79.

Stojakovic, saving some face, nailed a 3-pointer with 36.6 seconds left, cutting the Warriors' lead to three. But having been switched off Maggette, he found himself one-on-one with Crawford out by the 3-point line on the right side.

Crawford, realizing who was guarding him, slowed his pace and waited for his teammates to clear it out. He rocked a few dribbles and pulled up from 19 feet in Stojakovic's face, splashing the net with 15.4 seconds left, all but sealing the Warriors' victory.

"Whatever it took to get this win, we were going to do it," Jackson said. "Coach has a lot of game plans and he scouts people's defense and how they guard people. And we just went at (Stojakovic) tonight."

Notes: Nelson said his mediation with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on Thursday was uneventful. "They were trying to get us to settle," Nelson said, "But I already won. Why would I settle?" A judge ruled in August that Cuban owed Nelson, Dallas' coach from 1997-2005, $6.3 million in deferred money. After the mediation produced nothing, Nelson said the case is headed to the appellate court. ... Nelson said he is designating Crawford as the point guard and Monta Ellis as the shooting guard. Why Crawford? "He moves the ball more," Nelson said. The move, at the very least, puts on hold Ellis' development at point guard. At shooting guard, Ellis can focus more on attacking from the wing and not worry about facilitating the offense. "Well, he hadn't been worried about that anyway," Nelson said. "Then he can just be aggressive to score and come off screens. It's a little different than when you initiate. That guy's got to move the ball." Ellis, however, did end up running point, even late in the game. After the game, he acknowledged that his surgically repaired left ankle gave him some issues at halftime. "I'm good," Ellis said. "It wasn't nothing. Just stiffness, that's all it is. No pain or nothing like that. Nothing to worry about."

Contact Marcus Thompson II at mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com.Warriors 91, Hornets 87today: at Rockets, 5:30 p.m. TV: CSNBA. Radio: 680-AM