by Casey Holdahl

The Trail Blazers (27-20) host the Chicago Bulls (19-28) tonight at the Rose Garden in what will be their last home game before the All-Star break. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The game marks the last regular season contest between these two teams. The Trail Blazers won the first meeting 115-109 in double-overtime in what was a hard-fought, physical game at the United Center in Chicago.

A national television audience witnessed Brandon Roy dominate for much of the game, finishing with 25 points and 11 assists, before he was hampered by a tailbone bruise. With Roy’s mobility greatly diminished, the late-game heroics were left to Jarrett Jack, who converted a three-point play with 19 seconds left in the second overtime to put Portland up for good. Jack finished the game with 17 points. Travis Outlaw scored 21 and LaMarcus Aldridge posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The Bulls were led by Ben Gordon with 32 points and Joe Smith with a season-high 31 points and 11 rebounds.

Tonight’s contest gives Portland a chance to pull to 3-3 on their current six-game homestand. Monday’s overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets pushed the Trail Blazers to three games behind the Northwest Division leading Utah Jazz. Portland currently sits at 10th place in the Western Conference, six and a half games back from the Phoenix Suns.

The Blazers will also try to avoid their first back-to-back home losses since they dropped two games to the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic in November.

After tonight’s game the Trail Blazers won’t play on their home court for almost two weeks. Portland starts a four-game road trip on Friday that leads into the All-Star break, meaning the Blazers won’t take to the floor of the Rose Garden again until a February 19 game against Sacramento. Tickets are still available for tonight’s game.

Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. PST. The game will be air locally on Comcast SportsNet Channel 37. As always, the game will be on the radio at 750am KXL.