After Chris Paul broke down Denver's defense in a Game 3 win, the Nuggets wanted the point guard to feel like a quarterback handling the blitz in Game 4.

Their defensive approach worked as the Nuggets defeated the Hornets 121-63, matching a playoff record for win margin.

Paul also suffered through one of the worst games of his young career, as he was held to four points and forced to commit six turnovers.

"We compared him to a football (player)," Denver coach George Karl said. "We want Chris Paul to feel like he's being blitzed. We want him to feel like there's a linebacker coming from the left side and there's a couple coming from up the middle. In Game 3, we thought he was quarterbacking the game, and we were letting him throw where he wanted to throw or do what he wanted to do."

Paul acknowledged the new defensive look from Denver.

"It's no secret," Paul said. "They try to keep the ball out of my hands as much as possible. We've been trying to make adjustments to it for just about every game. We'll look at the film and see what we can do differently."