DENVER — Chris Paul led the New Orleans Hornets to unexpected heights a season ago. James Posey and his two championship rings were brought in to help them take the next step.

That mission looked very much on course Thursday night, with Paul taking over the game late and Posey hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 19.1 seconds left for a 105-101 victory over the Denver Nuggets — the Hornets’ fourth straight win.

“I have confidence in making shots,” Posey said. “I’ve been in those situations before.”

Paul led the Hornets with 22 points and 10 assists but came up six rebounds short of his third straight triple-double.

Still, he took over late, scoring seven straight points, including a 3-pointer from well behind the arc with the shot clock running down to tie it at 92 with 2:07 left.

Coach Byron Scott had been pleading with Paul to shoot the ball more.

“He got the baskets, made great passes and made the great play to get the ball to Posey for the big 3-pointer,” Scott said. “He’s just a big-time player.”

J.R. Smith led the Nuggets with a season-high 32 points. Denver tied it at 98 on Carmelo Anthony’s dunk with 37 seconds left, but the Hornets worked the ball to Posey, who made the 3 from the top right corner to give them the lead for good.

Chauncey Billups missed his own 3 on the next possession and the Hornets made four free throws down the stretch to ice the win. Denver fell to 9-3 since Billups arrived. He struggled in this one, finishing with only 12 points and never taking over the game.

Magic 105, Wizards 90

At Washington, Dwight Howard had 26 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, and Hedo Turkoglu added 20 points and a season-high 10 rebounds for Orlando.

The Magic have won eight of their last nine games and six in a row on the road.

Caron Butler scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half for Washington, and Antawn Jamison had 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Wizards fell to 2-11.