Hornets' reserve forward Ryan Bowen will miss at least three weeks with a sprained left knee.

Bowen was hurt during New Orleans' 99-71 loss at Utah on Friday night.

The 6-foot-9, seven-year veteran has averaged 1.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12 games for the Hornets this season. He has emerged as one of Head Coach Byron Scott's favorite reserves for his hustle on defense.

The Hornets announced Bowen would be out for an extended period on Monday, hours before they were to host the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With the injured Jermaine O'Neal on the bench, Troy Murphy scored 23 points to lead the Pacers to a 105-93 win over New Orleans on Wednesday night.

O'Neal missed the game after tweaking his left knee in Tuesday's loss to the Lakers.

"[Tuesday's loss] was disappointing for us, and we had a tough film session before the game," Murphy said. "We wanted to come out and give good energy and good effort."

Chris Paul returned to the lineup for the Hornets, but big man Tyson Chandler missed the game after hurting his knee. Paul finished with just eight points going 3-of-12 from the floor, but did have 10 assists in the loss.

Hornets' point guard Chris Paul who has missed two games with a sprained right ankle was slated to play Wednesday night when New Orleans hosted the Indiana Pacers.

A team spokesman said Paul who had been listed as day to day was reinserted in the lineup after a team shoot-around the morning of the game.

Paul has played in 10 games this season, averaging 19.5 points and 10.8 assists. The Hornets are 8-2 when he has played, 1-1 when he hasn't.

However, center Tyson Chandler will miss his first full game after hyperextending his right knee during the second quarter of Monday night's loss to Orlando. Chandler, averaging 10.8 points and 11.3 rebounds, remains day to day.

Already playing without starting point guard Chris Paul, the Hornets lost starting center Tyson Chandler in the second quarter of Monday night's game against the Orlando Magic after his right knee buckled.

Chandler fell to the floor writhing in pain and was helped to the locker room. Hornets' spokesman Scott Hall said the initial diagnosis is a hyperextended knee and that Chandler would not return to the game. Chandler will be day to day pending further evaluation.

Hornets' owner George Shinn is happy about his team's franchise-best 9-2 start, but he has noticed a glaring problem in two of the past three home games.

Lagging attendance usually doesn't exist when a team is winning like the Hornets, who will take a five-game streak into tonight's game against the Orlando Magic at the New Orleans Arena.

But from his courtside seat, Shinn has looked to the upper level and seen entire sections of empty seats. The same problem has persisted on a lesser scale in the lower bowl, especially in the corners.

Shinn said he did not become concerned until last week, when only 8,302 showed for a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was the smallest crowd to see the Hornets play at the Arena since they relocated from Charlotte, N.C., for the 2002-03 season.

Chris Paul missed Saturday night's 100-82 win at Minnesota with a sprained right ankle, and New Orleans' Coach Byron Scott said his star point guard would likely miss a couple more games as a precaution.

Paul was hurt in Friday night's overtime victory at Memphis when he rolled his ankle on Pau Gasol's foot in the third quarter. On Saturday, there was still some swelling and soreness in the ankle.

"It's still tender; he has some pain. So, there's no need to -- in the 11th game of the season -- to risk it. So we're just going to sit him down for a few games and see how he feels," Scott said.

Scott said Paul would likely miss Monday's game against Orlando and possibly Wednesday's game against Indiana.

If they continue to share the scoring load like this, the Hornets will be one of the NBA's toughest teams to beat this year.

Their leading scorer on the season had only two points after halftime and their starting point guard was out injured, but the Hornets still handily defeated Minnesota to build on their best start in franchise history.

Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points, Morris Peterson had 18 and the Hornets beat the Timberwolves 100-82 on Saturday night for New Orleans' fifth straight win.

New Orleans' forward David West was pleased with his career-high 40 points but prouder that the Hornets fought through overtime to record the best start in franchise history.

"I am more happy with the fact that we were able to gut this one out,'' West said after his 15-footer with 8.3 seconds left in the extra period gave the Hornets a 120-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

"They closed in on us down the stretch hitting some big 3s, and we were able to muster a good five minutes to close them out.''

Hornets' center Tyson Chandler promised coach Byron Scott on Friday morning he would not get himself thrown out of any more games for throwing elbows, as he did in the Hornets' loss at Portland on Wednesday.

Including the technical foul he received for elbowing Portland's Martell Webster, Chandler has been teed up in three of the team's five games.

Scott said he appreciated the promise. He knows, though, Chandler won't go the rest of the season without getting another technical foul, and he is fine with that.

"He got one the first game and the second game, and he's probably going to get a few more," Scott said. "I don't want to subdue the guy and put him on tranquilizers or whatever. I want him to be him, but I want him to keep it a little bit under control."

Scott even likened Chandler's passionate play to that of Detroit's Rasheed Wallace, who has led the league in technicals the past three seasons.

"I love the way Tyson plays," Scott said. "I love the fact he's an emotional player, just like Rasheed Wallace. And I'm not saying he's Rasheed Wallace. He won't lead the league in techs. But I love his enthusiasm and passion for the game."

Jarrett Jack scored 20 points, nine in the fourth quarter, and the Trail Blazers earned their first victory of the season by beating the previously undefeated New Orleans Hornets 93-90 on Wednesday night.

"I just try to embrace my role," Jack said. "He [coach Nate McMillan] wants me to be more aggressive, so I came out with a sense of urgency."

Martell Webster added 20 points, and Brandon Roy had 17 points and seven assists for the Blazers (1-3), playing their home opener.

David West had 34 points and 18 rebounds for the Hornets (4-1), who had matched last season's start for the best in franchise history with four straight wins.