Aaron Feldstein - AccuScore Analyst

The Portland Trailblazers are coming off one of their biggest wins of the season, as they defeated the Boston Celtics 91-86. With Brandon Roy’s status questionable, Nate McMillan’s team welcomes the second best team in the West to the Rose Garden – Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets.

Portland sits only a half game behind the Denver Nuggets for the led in the Pacific division. Roy has been the leader, averaging 23 points per game including scoring 20-plus points in 21 games. But with a right hamstring making him a game-time decision, the Trailblazers will be looking to others to step up against the West’s second best team.

This is where Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge will need to pick up their game. Both are defensive menaces as they are first and second, respectively, on the team in blocks. Aldridge is second in scoring (17.1 points per game) and Oden is slowly becoming the star he was projected to be. The No. 1 pick out of Ohio State earned his first double-double against New Orleans back in November.

The Hornets are cruising again, winners of their last three and they recently moved into first place in the tough Southwest division. Paul is coming off a triple-double against the Wizards where he scored 15 points, had 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Peja Stojakovic is back at the shooting forward position after missing five games with back spasms. Although the 6’10” forward has been off making only three for 13 from behind the arc since his return, he was one of the best from that range, netting 43 percent of his shots before the injury.

AccuScore forecasts New Orleans squeaking out a close one as they won just 50.4 percent of the simulations by an average score of 93 to 92.

Paul led the Hornets netting 21 points and 13 assists in 10,000 simulations, while teammates David West and Stojakovic combined for 29 points. Tyson Chandler is projected to play well defensively, grabbing nine boards, including giving the Hornets a few second chances with four of those rebounds coming offensively. He is also simulated to shoot 56 percent from the field and net nine points. James Posey is projected to come off the bench and contribute with nine points, six coming from behind the arc.

Roy’s injury has kept his point production down, as AccuScore forecasts the guard to score just 11 points if he does play. Aldridge is forecasted to lead the team with a team-high 18 points on seven field goals. Oden is projected to shoot 54 percent from the field, net nine points and grab nine rebounds. With Roy hurt, Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and Rudy Fernandez are all forecasted to score in double-digits, combining for 38 points. Joel Pryzbilla is projected to come off the bench and gab eight rebounds to extend his team lead with 8.2 boards per game.