(Sports Network) - A pair of contenders will battle for playoff positioning in the powerful Western Conference tonight at New Orleans Arena, where the Hornets conclude a three-game homestand with a showdown against the Northwest Division-leading Utah Jazz.

New Orleans currently owns a two-game advantage on the Jazz for the third seed in the West and enters tonight's play just one game behind defending NBA champion San Antonio for first place in the competitive Southwest Division. The Hornets recently fell out of the top spot in the Southwest due to a three- game losing streak, but the club rebounded strongly with Wednesday's 120-103 decision over Phoenix.

David West racked up 27 points and fellow All-Star Chris Paul scored 25 while dishing out 15 assists for New Orleans, which also received a 22-point effort from reserve Jannero Pargo.

Utah comes in with a 2 1/2-game lead on second-place Denver in the Northwest and has split its last four outings. The Jazz were most recently a winner at home, overcoming a double-digit second-half deficit to record a 103-95 victory over Detroit at EnergySolutions Arena.

Mehmet Okur netted 24 points and buried three clutch three-pointers in the final minutes to lead Utah's rally. Carlos Boozer amassed 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Paul Millsap contributed 19 points off the bench for a Jazz squad that trailed the Pistons by as much as 15 points late in the third quarter.

The win was the 15th in a row at home for Utah, but the Jazz have been a much different team as the visitor this season. The club is just 12-18 on the road in 2007-08 and just dropped three of its last four away tests.

Conversely, New Orleans has won 10 of its 13 most recent contests on its home court and brings a 19-10 mark as the host into tonight's matchup.

Utah has dominated this series as of late, however, having taken four straight and six of the last seven encounters between these teams. The Jazz have won both previous meetings this season, but each has taken place in Salt Lake City.

This will be the Jazz's first appearance in New Orleans, the franchise's home base from 1974-79, since the 2004-05 campaign. Utah played the Hornets in Oklahoma City four times over the previous two seasons, when the Hornets were splitting their home games because of the impact of Hurricane Katrina.