Hornets, Knicks battle at the Ford Center

Both teams are trying and make one last run at earning a playoff berth in their respective conferences. The Hornets are three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth and final playoff berth in Western Conference, while the Knicks trail the eighth-seeded New Jersey Nets by two games in the East.

The Hornets return home after a tough loss on the road. Tim Duncan scored 31 points as the San Antonio Spurs rallied to beat New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 92-88, on Wednesday at the AT&T Center.

Chris Paul finished with 20 points and nine assists, while Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to San Antonio for the Hornets, who have lost three of four and 10 of their last 14 games overall. David West added 16 points and Jannero Pargo netted 13 in defeat.

Forward Peja Stojakovic (lower back) is probable for tonight’s contest. Stojakovic, who is in his first season with the Hornets, is averaging 17.8 points in 13 games this season. The sharp-shooting Stojakovic last played on November 24th.

Guard Bobby Jackson (strained right Achilles) is questionable for the Hornets. Jackson did not play against San Antonio and has missed five straight contests.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City is 21-15 as the host this season. The Hornets will visit Michael Redd and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday at the Bradley Center.

The Knicks wrap up a two-game road trip. On Friday, Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as the Dallas Mavericks held on to beat New York, 105-103, at American Airlines Center.

Stephon Marbury had 43 points to lead the Knicks, who have lost five of their last six games overall. Marbury carried New York down the stretch, but he committed a costly turnover with 17 seconds left and his driving layup with two seconds remaining was blocked by Josh Howard.

New York is 12-23 on the road this season. The Knicks return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 6th at Madison Square Garden.

This is the second and final meeting of the campaign between the clubs. On March 16th, West scored 18 points, and hit the go-ahead jumper with 55 seconds remaining as the Hornets came back from 18 points down to top the Knicks, 92-90, at Madison Square Garden.

New York has lost four of its last six at the Hornets, who have captured four in a row in the series.