http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/041204/hor_hornets001.shtml Hornets look to improve in standings By LES EAST Special to The Advocate NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Hornets play their final home game of the regular season tonight, still hoping to position themselves to begin the playoffs at home. The Hornets (40-40) play the New York Knicks (38-42) at 7 p.m. in the New Orleans Arena after having re-ignited their flickering hopes for home-court advantage with consecutive victories. New Orleans beat Boston 89-80 Friday, then went to Milwaukee and beat the Bucks 92-87 Saturday night, preventing Milwaukee from clinching the fourth seed and the final home- court edge for the first round of the playoffs and giving New Orleans consecutive victories for the first time in more than six weeks. The Hornets have the same record as fifth-place Miami, but Miami holds the tiebreaker. New Orleans is a game behind the Bucks, but clinched that tiebreaker Saturday night. If the Hornets win tonight and in their regular-season finale at Washington on Wednesday, they'll grab fourth place if Milwaukee and Miami each lose one of their last two. The Heat plays at Boston tonight and at home against New Jersey on Wednesday. The Bucks play at Cleveland tonight and at home against Toronto on Wednesday. "I still believe we have a shot at getting home-court advantage," Hornets center Jamaal Magloire said, "and the only way to give ourselves that chance is to win out." If New Orleans splits its last two games, Miami and Milwaukee would both have to lose both of their remaining games for the Hornets to get the fourth seed. If these teams finish in a three-way tie, New Orleans can finish no higher than fifth based on the conference-record tiebreaker. The fourth and fifth seeds will meet in the first round while the sixth seed will have to play third-seeded Detroit (53-27). The Hornets started preparing for the playoffs after they clinched a berth last Tuesday, even as they continue to try and strengthen their position. "Each game is important as far as our seeding is concerned," coach Tim Floyd said. "You want to finish as high as you possibly can so you're trying to win every game. If a win is attainable, you try to get it. We've talked as a staff about who we might play, practice times, schedules and such." The health of key players remains a question mark as the start of the playoffs looms this coming weekend. Guard Darrell Armstrong sat out the win over the Bucks because of a sprained right ankle sustained a night earlier against the Celtics. He hopes to play tonight, but is listed as doubtful. Guard David Wesley continues to play despite a sprained left big toe that won't heal until the off-season. Guard Baron Davis, who has missed the last nine games because of a sprained left ankle, is questionable for tonight. Forward Jamal Mashburn has missed the last 17 games and will miss at least these last two regular-season games because of a bone bruise in his right knee. Floyd said the Hornets will get a medical update on Mashburn, who's on the injured list, before the playoff rosters are set Thursday. Magloire has emerged as New Orleans' key player while role players such as point guard Shammond Williams, and forwards P.J. Brown, Stacey Augmon and George Lynch have taken turns picking up some of the slack. Magloire has averaged 21.4 points and 12.2 rebounds and had four 20-point, 10-rebound games in the last five. Williams had a career-high 11 assists against Milwaukee. Copyright c 1992-2004, WBRZ, Louisiana Broadcasting LLC and The Advocate, Capital City Press LLC, All Rights Reserved. Send comments about 2theadvocate.com to [email protected] or [email protected] . --

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