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Blazers host Memphis in crucial contest at Rose Garden

Apr 12, 2011 - 2:55 PM (Sports Network) - The Portland Trail Blazers can move closer to locking up the sixth seed in the Western Conference, but first must get past the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at the Rose Garden.

Portland is a game ahead of Memphis for the No. 6 slot with two games remaining for both playoff-bound teams, and has won two straight and four of five games, including Friday's 93-86 victory over the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Gerald Wallace had 19 points, 13 boards and seven assists, and Wesley Matthews chipped in 18 points for the Blazers, who scored 13 points off 17 LA turnovers and shot 45.5 percent from the field.

"I think they have trouble getting up and down the court," Wallace said of the slumping Lakers. "When you're running them their legs get heavy."

The Blazers are 29-11 at home and will visit Golden State on Wednesday in the regular season finale. Their first-round opponent has yet to be decided since slots two through four are still up in the air. Portland center Marcus Camby is probable for Tuesday with a strained neck and has missed consecutive games.

In other team news, Aldridge is on pace to set the all-time Trail Blazers mark for minutes played in one season. He has logged 3,183 minutes in 80 games and the current record of 3,245 minutes is held by Sidney Wicks in 1971-72. Since Dec. 15, Aldridge is averaging 23.8 points and 9.1 rebounds. Wallace has scored in double figures in 10 straight games and is averaging 19.5 points in his previous 12 contests.

Memphis will close out its regular season with consecutive road tilts against the Blazers and Clippers, and is 16-23 away from FedEx Forum this season.

The Grizzlies are a half-game ahead of idle New Orleans for the No. 7 spot in the West and went 3-1 on a four-game homestand. They just handed the Hornets a 111-89 setback in the Volunteer State on Sunday behind O.J. Mayo's 18 points. Marc Gasol ended with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Zach Randolph and Sam Young scored 14 points apiece for Memphis, which held Hornets All-Star guard Chris Paul scoreless for the first time in his career and won for the ninth time in the past 11 tries.

"He had to dish it out to guys and force other guys to score ... and force them to shoot more than they normally would," Memphis guard Mike Conley said of Paul. "I think that's what the game plan was; try to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible."

The Grizzlies will try to win the season series against Portland with a victory tonight and hasn't achieved the feat since taking two of three matchups during the 2005-06 campaign.