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Bench Warmer
LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and 13 rebounds, helping Portland to an 86-78 victory over a New Orleans team on Friday night that lost Chris Paul to a sprained ankle while trying to adjust to new head coach Jeff Bower.
The Hornets trailed for most of their first game since the firing of Byron Scott on Thursday. Bower and new top assistant Tim Floyd struggled to find a lineup that could score consistently even when Paul was in the game.
Paul sprained his left ankle at the end of the third quarter, moments after setting up Hilton Armstrong's dunk that cut Portland's lead to 62-52.
Brandon Roy scored 15 points for the Trail Blazers, who won their fifth straight game while dropping New Orleans to its fourth loss in five games.
Andre Miller had 12 points and Joel Przybilla 10 for the Blazers, while Greg Oden grabbed 12 rebounds. Portland outrebounded New Orleans 60-40 and finished with a 22-3 advantage in second-chance points.
Bower, who stepped in as coach while maintaining his general manager post, tried a variety of lineups, including one with 2009 first-round draft choice Darren Collison and Paul playing in the back court together. Collison remained at point guard after Paul was hurt and finished with a career high 18 points.
Fellow Hornets rookie Marcus Thornton led the Hornets with a career-high 20. David West was the only starter in double figures with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Paul was in the midst of what seemed destined to be his worst game of the season even before he hurt the same ankle he twisted in the Hornets' victory over the Clippers in Los Angeles earlier in the week.
Paul made no secret that Scott's firing bothered him personally and played well below his normal standard early in the game. In his first 11 minutes on the floor, he did not score, missing four shots, and had one assist and one rebound. He did not score until hitting one of two free throws with 1:30 to go in the second quarter. That was his only point of the first half. He finished with three points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes.
Thornton scored 11 in the first half and West scored 10 to keep the game close through two quarters. Paul's assists on fast-break baskets by Emeka Okafor and West highlighted a 7-0 run that put the Hornets briefly ahead 32-30.
Portland closed the half on a 7-1 run that included Roy's jumper as he was fouled, then Travis Outlaw's tip-in gave the Blazers a 37-33 lead at halftime.
The Hornets trailed for most of their first game since the firing of Byron Scott on Thursday. Bower and new top assistant Tim Floyd struggled to find a lineup that could score consistently even when Paul was in the game.
Paul sprained his left ankle at the end of the third quarter, moments after setting up Hilton Armstrong's dunk that cut Portland's lead to 62-52.
Brandon Roy scored 15 points for the Trail Blazers, who won their fifth straight game while dropping New Orleans to its fourth loss in five games.
Andre Miller had 12 points and Joel Przybilla 10 for the Blazers, while Greg Oden grabbed 12 rebounds. Portland outrebounded New Orleans 60-40 and finished with a 22-3 advantage in second-chance points.
Bower, who stepped in as coach while maintaining his general manager post, tried a variety of lineups, including one with 2009 first-round draft choice Darren Collison and Paul playing in the back court together. Collison remained at point guard after Paul was hurt and finished with a career high 18 points.
Fellow Hornets rookie Marcus Thornton led the Hornets with a career-high 20. David West was the only starter in double figures with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Paul was in the midst of what seemed destined to be his worst game of the season even before he hurt the same ankle he twisted in the Hornets' victory over the Clippers in Los Angeles earlier in the week.
Paul made no secret that Scott's firing bothered him personally and played well below his normal standard early in the game. In his first 11 minutes on the floor, he did not score, missing four shots, and had one assist and one rebound. He did not score until hitting one of two free throws with 1:30 to go in the second quarter. That was his only point of the first half. He finished with three points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes.
Thornton scored 11 in the first half and West scored 10 to keep the game close through two quarters. Paul's assists on fast-break baskets by Emeka Okafor and West highlighted a 7-0 run that put the Hornets briefly ahead 32-30.
Portland closed the half on a 7-1 run that included Roy's jumper as he was fouled, then Travis Outlaw's tip-in gave the Blazers a 37-33 lead at halftime.
