Next time they'll get it right -- right?

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Chris Paul inbounds, and the Wolves lose.

Surely the Wolves haven't so exhausted all the various ways to lose a game that they've started repeating themselves. But that's sure how it looked Friday, when the Hornets ran the same play they used to beat Minnesota last month, the Wolves knew it was coming -- and the result didn't change.

"It's pretty tough," said Jonny Flynn. "We have to stay mentally in the game."

Or at least properly execute a switch. For the second straight time, the Hornets played a two-man game on the side, and both Wolves defenders stayed with one man -- leaving the other open for a game-winning layup.

The Wolves were clearly not going to let Paul get free this time, because he beat them in December when the defense focused on the ball instead. But tonight's mistake was just as fatal -- Corey Brewer and Damien Wilkins left Posey alone with the ball while they followed Paul.

"We did a good job of sending (Paul) to the ball, but you can't let him go over the top," coach Kurt Rambis said. "We mishandled the switch."

Al Jefferson seemed particularly pained by the play, and it's no wonder. He had so overpowered Emeka Okafor inside, it seemed he could have scored 50 points if the Wolves had gotten him the ball a little more. Yes, it seems odd to suggest that a guy who took 21 shots didn't get the ball enough, but it was obvious how helpless the Hornets' defense was against him.

-- OK, maybe it was just a bad night, but Peja Stojakovic's career sure looked like it was on fumes. The former All-Star forward did little all night but stand at the three-point line and wait for the ball, and he missed all six three-pointers he took. He can still make free throws, which came in handy when the Wolves were forced to foul in the final minute, but his defense is non-existent and he was bounced around like a pinball whenever he gingerly ventured near the basket. For this, he earns $14.2 million this year, making him the Hornets' highest-paid player, and incredibly, he's owed another $15.3 million next season.

-- Kevin Love said he felt "horrible" two days ago, could barely get out of bed. But it clearly troubled him to miss two games with strep throat, an illness he considered "so minor." That's why he was glad to return to action on Friday. "Things turned around quick. I got my sleep, got my meds, and I feel OK," he said. He wasn't in the starting lineup because Rambis, startled by how fragile Ryan Hollins looked when he returned from a similar bug, didn't know how long he could play. Love said he could have stayed on the floor longer than the 23:35 he got, so don't be surprised if he's back to his usual playing time tomorrow.

-- Funny moment between Jefferson and Love (who, you may have read on Yahoo.com, have trouble getting along) in the third quarter. They were standing next to each other under the basket, and Love looked like he wanted to hand the ball to Jefferson for a layup. But he hesitated, so Jefferson turned away, and Love was stuck holding the ball. They were whistled for a three-second violation, and Jefferson's face was scrunched up in frustration as he jogged up the floor. As Love caught up to him, Jefferson barked, "Shoot it, dawg!" and they slapped hands as Love smiled at the mistake.

-- The Hornets are a small team anyway, and when David West went down with a sprained ankle after landing on Love's foot in the second quarter, they decided to play even smaller. So Chris Paul, Darren Collison -- each of whom barely reaches six feet tall -- and Devin Brown were on the floor together on a few occasions. Rambis took the opportunity to play Flynn, Ramon Sessions (who had a strong game, scoring 11 points) and Wayne Ellington together. Rambis, incidentally, was clearly annoyed at Flynn in the fourth quarter, pulling him just 90 seconds after putting him back in the game. Flynn, who played just 1:11 of the final period despite his 20-point night, didn't return until Minnesota's final possession. But Rambis didn't explain the move, simply complimenting Sessions instead, and Flynn said he didn't know what he had done to deserve benching. "He didn't say a word to me," Flynn said. "I just do what he says."