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Hornets-Trail Blazers Preview

Jan 24, 2010 - 6:35 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

New Orleans (23-20) at Portland (27-18), 10:00 p.m. EDT

Martell Webster isn't allowing himself to take much credit, but he's helping the Portland Trail Blazers remain competitive despite a rash of injuries.

In their return home from a four-game road trip Monday night, the Blazers face the New Orleans Hornets, who are hoping to have one of their All-Stars back in the lineup.

Portland had eight players in its rotation Saturday night against Detroit, but finished its trek with a 97-93 victory as Webster had a career-high 28 points. He matched another with six 3-pointers.

"Everybody contributed to this tonight," Webster said. "As far as records, I don't care. We won the game, and we earned it."

Despite that short-handed lineup, the Blazers (27-18) are three games behind Denver in the Northwest Division and remain on pace for a second straight 50-win season.

Webster has helped by scoring 18.1 points per game this month to raise his season average from 8.7 to a career-best 11.0. The forward, who missed all but one game last season with a foot injury, has scored at least 18 points in four of the past five games - when his team routinely had fewer than 10 available players.

LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 21.3 points per game during the road trip - five above his season average.

All-Star guard Brandon Roy, scoring a team-best 23.1 per game, re-injured his right hamstring in Wednesday night's 98-90 win over Philadelphia, and is expected to miss at least the next two games.

His backup, Jerryd Bayless, suffered a sprained left ankle two nights later in the third quarter of a 98-95 loss to Boston, and Steve Blake started in his place in Saturday's victory. Earlier this season, the Blazers lost centers Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden to season-ending knee injuries.

Bayless, who warmed up before Saturday's game, could return Monday as Portland tries for its third straight home win. Nicolas Batum might also make his first appearance since undergoing preseason shoulder surgery.

The Hornets (23-20) are hoping David West can return after missing Saturday night's 116-110 overtime loss in Denver. The All-Star forward, who has averaged 22.5 points over his last four trips to Portland, sprained his left ankle the previous night in a 96-94 win over Minnesota, the opener of a four-game road trip.

Chris Paul nearly had his left eye swollen shut in that game after getting elbowed but scored 26 points Saturday, giving him an average of 23.3 over the past three games. Darius Songaila had a season-high 20 points while starting in place of West.

"In basketball, when a guy is out, different guys step up," Paul said. "Darius was real big tonight."

New Orleans, which has split its last eight, didn't get much out of its All-Star point guard in the previous meeting with the Blazers, an 86-78 home loss Nov. 13. Paul finished with a season-low three points on 1-of-8 shooting and is 4 for 19 the past two meetings.

Aldridge led Portland with 20 points and 13 rebounds, one of his three consecutive double-doubles against the Hornets.

The Blazers are searching for their fourth win in five games versus New Orleans and sixth in seven tries at home.