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Suns visit Hornets in key Western Conference contest

Mar 16, 2011 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - The New Orleans Hornets will try to get back on track when they resume a five-game homestand tonight versus the Phoenix Suns.

New Orleans had won two straight and four of five games before suffering a 114-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday in the Big Easy. The Nuggets had three players with 20-plus points, as Ty Lawson ended with 23, Raymond Felton added 22 and Wilson Chandler netted 21 points.

Hornets All-Star guard Chris Paul provided 27 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, while Willie Green scored 18 points off the bench for the Hornets, who fell to 2-1 on the residency and 23-10 as the host this season.

"It's one of those games you have in the NBA where they just shoot the ball better than you've ever seen before," said Hornets head coach Monty Williams.

The Hornets will also welcome Boston to town and are seventh in the Western Conference standings -- just percentage points behind Portland for the sixth spot. Paul is averaging 24.0 points, 12.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his last four games.

Phoenix has lost three straight and five of seven games, including Monday's 95-93 loss in Houston.

Vince Carter led the way with 21 points and Josh Childress scored 15 for the Suns, who are 15-17 away from the desert and will wrap up a quick two-game road trip this evening. Marcin Gortat ended with 12 points and eight rebounds.

"It's too bad we didn't play the first half with a sense of urgency," said Carter. "We have to come out and play hard and in the second half we did a better job. It's disappointing with how we played as a team."

The Suns were without All-Star guard Steve Nash for a second straight game because of pelvic instability. Nash is probable for Wednesday's game. Phoenix, which is 2 1/2 games off the eighth and final postseason spot in the West and 15-17 as the visitor, owns an 0-4 mark without Nash this season.

Phoenix is in the midst of playing four of five games on the road. Gortat has scored in double digits in a career-high 11 straight games and his 14 double- doubles off the bench are tops in the NBA.

New Orleans and Phoenix are meeting for the second time in 2010-11, as the Suns won the first encounter by a 104-102 score on Jan. 30 at US Airways Center. Gortat scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in that one for the Suns, who have won three straight and five of six in this series.

The Suns have won eight of 12 visits to the Big Easy.