Charlotte Hornets Close Out Home Stand Against Minnesota Timberwolves

The Charlotte Hornets are set to host the Timberwolves in the third and final game of their current home stand as they look for their second straight win.

The Charlotte Hornets (11-8) will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (5-14) as they try to put some momentum together by stringing together a few victories. After losing to the Detroit Pistons in the first game of their three-game home stand, the Hornets bounced back and were able to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in their last match. It was an ugly win but Charlotte was able to get the job done as they now have their sights set on the T-Wolves.

In their last game, Minnesota was defeated by Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks. They have lost four straight games and seven of their last eight in total. With only five wins on the young season, the T-wolves have been a disappointment so far this year. Even with all of their young players, many expected them to take the next step and compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Timberwolves have loads of talent on their roster with the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Zach LaVine but they haven’t quite yet put everything together at the moment. They are a team on the rise but there is still ways to go. With Tom Thibodeau at the helm, Minnesota should be competing in a few years time, if not by next season.

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In their only prior meeting this season, the Hornets were able to beat the T-Wolves in Minnesota on November 15th. The 115-108 win didn’t come easy but Charlotte did enough to get the victory in that one. Steve Clifford’s side will be looking to replicate that result in this one.

Charlotte Hornets vs Minnesota Timberwolves

7:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, December 3rd, 2016

Spectrum Center

Broadcast on FOX Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

OUT – Marvin Williams (hyperextended left knee)

MIN:

Center Nikola Pekovic: Will miss the 2016-17 season due to recurring pain in his right ankle. Guard Brandon Rush: Has been sidelined for the past two contests with a sprained right big toe, and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game.

Guard Brandon Rush: Has been sidelined for the past two contests with a sprained right big toe, and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game.

Biggest Story:

Hornets’ Defensive Rebounding vs Timberwolves’ Offensive Rebounding

Under Coach Clifford, Charlotte has always been near the top of the league in defensive rebounds. They do their best to limit their opponents second chances every time out. The Hornets have been successful this season as they average 36.5 defensive rebounds a game which is second best in the NBA.

On the other hand, Minnesota has length and athleticism which helps them attack the offensive glass. They average 11.7 offensive boards per game which rank fourth in the league. The battle of the boards will likely decide the outcome of this one. The Charlotte Hornets must limit the T-Wolves second chance points to have the best chance of getting a positive result.

Best Match-up to Watch:

Cody Zeller vs Karl-Anthony Towns

Cody Zeller is enjoying a career season as the Hornets’ starting center this year. Despite putting up great numbers, KAT will give him a big test. The Timberwolves’ center is one of the best young big men in the NBA and he is outstanding on both sides of the ball.

Next: Buzz City Beat: Kemba Keeps Getting Better, Drummond Fine

Towns is almost averaging a double-double on the year with 22.3 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game. Zeller is quite a ways behind only averaging 10.8 PPG and 5.9 RPG but these two players are asked to do completely different things for their respective teams. Karl-Anthony is one of only five players in the NBA this season averaging 20+ PPG and 9+ RPG so it will be crucial for Cody to slow down the talented big man.

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Charlotte Hornets Close Out Home Stand Against the Minnesota Timberwolves

By Jerry Stephens | Dec 3, 2016