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Grizzlies-Hornets Preview

Mar 2, 2010 - 6:21 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Memphis (30-30) at New Orleans (31-30), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The struggling New Orleans Hornets are sliding down the Western Conference standings. A loss to the Memphis Grizzlies will only further that descent.

The Hornets look for their 10th straight home win over the Grizzlies, who are trying to set a franchise record with their fifth consecutive victory on the road.

Coupled with Portland's 103-93 win at Memphis on Monday, New Orleans (31-30) fell four games behind the Trail Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot with its 106-92 loss to San Antonio. The Hornets, who have lost four of five, lead the 11th-place Grizzlies (30-30) by one-half game.

After scoring a season-high 35 points in a 108-100 loss at Dallas on Sunday, rookie point guard Darren Collison was held to 10 on Monday as New Orleans' three-game home winning streak was snapped.

Collison has made it tough for opponents since taking over for Chris Paul, who is not expected to return from arthroscopic knee surgery until at least the middle of this month. Collison was named Western Conference rookie of the month for February and is averaging 20.5 points and 9.4 assists in the last 15 games without Paul.

The first start in this stretch was at Memphis on Jan. 30, when Collison scored 17 points with a season-high 18 assists as New Orleans overcame a 21-point third-quarter deficit to win 109-102 in overtime and snap the Grizzlies' franchise-record 11-game home winning streak.

Since that loss, the Grizzlies are 1-8 at home, dropping their last seven.

"Home should be the easiest place to play," said forward Zach Randolph, who scored 25 with 12 rebounds in both meetings with New Orleans this season.

As they open a back-to-back set at New Orleans and Chicago, Randolph and the Grizzlies will try to set a franchise record with their fifth straight road win. Memphis, though, has lost nine in a row at the Hornets since an 88-82 victory March 16, 2005.

In the teams' first matchup this season, New Orleans rallied from a nine-point deficit and won 113-111 at home on James Posey's layup with 1.1 seconds left Jan. 20.

Randolph, the Grizzlies' leading scorer and rebounder, has scored 20 or more in five straight games while averaging 13.0 boards. He will be going up against David West, who is averaging 11.5 points and shooting 28.1 percent (9 for 32) in two games after scoring 40 against Orlando on Friday.

Rookie Marcus Thornton helped picked up the slack Monday for New Orleans, posting season highs with six 3-pointers and 30 points. Thornton is averaging 26.2 points on 53.8 percent shooting in the last five games.

"He was incredible today," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "At the beginning of the game, we said we would prefer him to take shots rather than attack the rim. But he started making every shot possible and attacking the rim, too. ... A rookie with a lot of potential."

The Hornets have won three straight and 15 of 17 against Memphis.