National Basketball Association

Okafor leads Hornets to victory in home opener

Published Oct. 31, 2009 5:28 a.m. ET

foxsports

Who needs the preseason?

Emeka Okafor, a year-round fitness fanatic, missed it and seems to be doing fine.

Chris Paul scored 31 points and Okafor capped another strong performance with two key blocks in the final seconds to help the New Orleans Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings 97-92 on Friday night.

"I'm just happy that I was able to contribute, considering that I didn't have a preseason, that I could come in, have a couple decent starts and kind of put everybody's mind at ease," said Okafor, who came to New Orleans in a trade that sent Tyson Chandler to Charlotte. "It was on my mind, having a decent first impression to just kind of calm everybody's nerves."

After sitting out training camp and all eight preseason games with a sprained toe, Okafor returned for the Hornets' season-opening loss in San Antonio and was one of the bright spots with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

As the Hornets prepared to play their home opener against Sacramento, coach Byron Scott, known for his grueling training camps, smiled when asked what Okafor's debut told him, replying that his training camp and preseason apparently don't mean much.