The Washington Wizards fell to 0-25 on the road with Tuesday's 97-89 loss to the New Orleans Hornets, who got a season-high 20 points from Jason Smith in just his second career start.

Despite 30 points from guard Nick Young, the Wizards continued their futility on the road. It is the third-longest road losing streak to start an NBA season, trailing only the 1992-93 Mavericks (0-29) and 1974-75 New Orleans Jazz (0-28).

Starting in place of injured center Emeka Okafor, Smith made 9-of-11 shots as he led a balanced attack that saw six Hornets score in double figures. He provided an early spark with 10 first-quarter points and 15 in the opening half, helping New Orleans open a 55-44 lead.

Trevor Ariza and Chris Paul scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, for New Orleans, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

The Hornets went ahead for good with a 7-0 run in the final 35 seconds of the first quarter, including 3-pointers by Paul and Ariza. They steadily pulled away and held a double-digit lead until the game's final minute.

Andray Blatche added 21 points for Washington, which returns home for four games. Its next road contest is Feb. 13 at league-worst Cleveland.