Charlotte Hornets Report: Week of March 9th - 15th
Credit: sportslogos.net
LAST 3 GAMES
- vs. Portland Trailblazers: L, 108-118
- vs. Miami Heat: L, 84-91
- vs. Washington Wizards: W, 112-111
The Hornets had a less than desirable week over the last 7 days, losing 2 out of 3 games in the slate. In particular, the loss to the Miami Heat was an important game that the Hornets really needed a win in. They fought hard in all three games, but their efforts just weren’t enough in two of the games. The game against Portland was a tough one, but it is understandable that they had a tough time with them. Jeremy Lamb was the leading scorer in that one with 23 points, but the Hornets ended up losing by 10. With the loss to the Heat, the Hornets are now 10th in the East and the Heat are 8th. The game was a crucial one for both teams, but Miami’s defense really put Charlotte to the test. Frank Kaminsky was the leading scorer for the Hornets in that one, with 20 points in the losing effort. They will face the Heat next Sunday on the road and that is absolutely a must-win scenario. The last game of the slate was against the Wizards and the game was a lot closer than it should’ve been. The Hornets pulled away with a 1 point win. Marvin Williams was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points, he really had his long range shot on point last night. The Hornets are 1 game out of the Playoffs currently and games are more serious now than they have ever been. It will be tough test for the Hornets in the next 3 games, because they are all on the road. The Hornets are 9-21 on the road for the season. There is roughly a month of regular season basketball left and every game is important from here on out.
NEXT 3 GAMES
- @ Milwaukee Bucks (49-16): Saturday, March 9th at 9pm
- @ Houston Rockets (40-25): Monday, March 11th at 8pm
- @ Washington Wizards (27-38): Friday, March 15th at 7pm
Like I said earlier, the Hornets will have a tough test in the upcoming week. As I was glancing at the rest of their schedule, I noticed that Charlotte has a lot of road games coming up. 11 of the last 17 games are on the road, so the Hornets will have to buckle down if they want to make the Playoffs. First on the slate, the Hornets are going head-to-head against the best team in basketball, record-wise. The Milwaukee Bucks don’t really do anything below average. The worst thing I can really say is that they aren’t the best 3-point shooting team, but when you have a guy like Giannis Antetokounmpo, you don’t need to be a great shooting team. They have great depth and they look like they are poised to be a favorite to be in the NBA Finals. With that being said, the Hornets will likely have a difficult time with the Bucks tonight. Milwaukee has only lost 5 games at home this season, so look for them to play at their best level.
Next, we have the Houston Rockets, who are now 3rd in the Western Conference. The Hornets played the Rockets a couple week ago in Charlotte and lost 113-118. The Rockets are at full strength at the moment, so this is another game that will be tough to overcome for Charlotte. The Rockets aren’t a very efficient team, but they are a team that shoots at will, so you will always have to pay attention to what they are doing. The lead the NBA in 3-point attempts by an insurmountable margin at this point in the season and they are not going to change things. It will be another tough test for the Hornets, but it is a game that they could surprise some people in.
Last on the slate is the Washington Wizards, yet again. The Hornets played the Wizards last night and won by only 1 point. Expect more of the same in this one also. Both teams are fighting for a Playoff spot, but at this point the Hornets have a much better shot of getting in. Bradley Beal is the star of the team and is involved heavily in their play calling. The Hornets lead the season series 2-1 and this will be their last meeting of the season. Hopefully the Hornets can get the win and close out the season series as the better team. The Wizards, even without John Wall, is a surprisingly decent team and could get the win at home, but look for the Hornets to be dialed in on Friday.
Yacs