Pelicans 97 - 78 Trail Blazers
Final
  for this game

Hornets buzz into Portland

Nov 26, 2010 - 3:50 PM (Sports Network) - The New Orleans Hornets hope to put the brakes on their first losing streak of the season when Monty Williams' club finishes up a four-game western road swing against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.

Tonight's contest marks the return of Williams to the Pacific Northwest, where he was an assistant under Nate McMillan with the Blazers for five years.

The Hornets fell to 1-2 on their trek Wednesday in Salt Lake City when Deron Williams outdueled Chris Paul, finishing with 26 points, 11 assists and five steals, as the Utah Jazz dealt New Orleans its third loss of the season, 105-87.

Paul finished with 17 points, nine assists and five steals, with only one turnover. But there wasn't much Paul could do about the 17 turnovers the rest of his team committed, which led to 26 Jazz points.

"Obviously we have to play a lot tougher," said Paul.

The short-handed Blazers also lost to Utah in its last encounter, a 103-94 setback in the Rose Garden last Saturday. C.J. Miles finished with a game-high 25 points in that one as the Jazz topped Portland.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Wesley Matthews finished with 16 points for Portland, which was toiling without All- Star swingman Brandon Roy and had a two-game winning streak snapped.

Andre Miller added 15 points and nine assists, and Nicolas Batum supplied 14 points and six rebounds in the loss.

"If it was a three-quarter game, it would have been all right," Matthews said. "We knew going into this that they're known for comebacks, and we just didn't put it together for four quarters."

Roy, who has missed the last three games with a balky left knee, practiced Wednesday and will be a game-time decision tonight.

"If I feel the way I feel now," Roy said Wednesday, "I will play Friday."

Meanwhile, center Joel Przybilla is also nearing a return for Portland. The big man, who was hospitalized with a stomach virus on Wednesday, hasn't suited up for a game since Dec. 22 of last year when he ruptured the patella in his right knee and will also be a game-time decision tonight.

New Orleans has won two of the past three meetings in the series, including a 107-87 rout in the Big Easy back on Nov. 13.






Related News