So he asked team athletic trainer Greg Farnam to check with every player well after midnight to make sure everyone had gotten home safely through a storm that dropped more than a foot of snow on some parts of Minnesota.

"I wanted to be able to sleep soundly, knowing everyone was safe," Rambis said.

Rambis didn't have that dilemma after Wednesday's home loss to New Orleans: The Wolves flew to Los Angeles right after the game even though they don't play the Lakers until Friday night.

Rambis said he decided weeks ago that the team would do so to get away from winter for a few extra hours. He also moved the team for this trip from its usual hotel to one in Beverly Hills so perhaps his players could get some Christmas shopping done.

So were the travel arrangements made in the best interest of the players or the coach, who has lived in Southern California for most of the last 30 years and calls Manhattan Beach, Calif., home?

"Yes," Rambis said.

HORNETS 97, WOLVES 96: Chris Paul's backdoor lay-up with 1.4 seconds left was the winner in the Hornets' second victory over the Wolves in the last five days. The Wolves led by as many as 16 points midway through the third quarter before a 15-2 run brought New Orleans back into the game.

Paul inbounded the ball after a timeout and then streaked to the basket past Wolves rookie Jonny Flynn, received a return pass and then made the winning, driving shot. Wolves forward Al Jefferson, incidentally, during training camp compared Flynn to Paul, the NBA All-Star and former MVP candidate. Paul had 15 points and 14 assists after coming within two steals of a triple-double in Friday's victory over the Wolves in New Orleans. The Hornets ended a five-game losing streak while the Wolves lost for the 19th time in their first 22 games.