Charlotte Hornets Hope to Knock Off the Cavs to Win Their Fourth in a Row
The Charlotte Hornets are peaking at the right time but they will have a true test against LeBron and the Cavs as they attempt to win their fourth straight.
The Charlotte Hornets (31-39) look to be playing some of their best basketball of the season right now. They’ve won their last three contests, all against teams in their division. However, they still sit 2.5 games back of the 8th place Miami Heat so there’s still work to be done. It won’t get any easier when the Cleveland Cavaliers (46-24) come to town Friday at the Spectrum Center.
The Hornets are 0-3 against the Cavs this season, losing those games by an average of 10 points. Their last game was on December 31st and despite Kemba Walker scoring 37, the team still lost 109-121. It’s been well over a year since the Hornets last defeated the Cavs, with their last victory coming on February 3rd, 2016.
Charlotte’s only 1-28 in their last 29 outings against LeBron James’ led teams. That is a record that spans over seven years and dates back to when he was on the Miami Heat. Even though they don’t have a great record against LeBron, the one win did come last season so they have some recent success.
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Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m. EST, Friday, March 24th, 2017
Spectrum Center
Broadcast on FOX Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Ramon Session (knee surgery) – OUT
Johnny O’Bryant (Ankle Sprain) – OUT
Miles Plumlee (Calf Strain) – OUT
CLE:
None
Things to keep and eye on:
Kemba Walker is averaging just over 27 points per game against Cleveland this season, which is his fourth highest average against any team this season. (ESPN.com) Unfortunately, LeBron James is averaging 31.7 points per game against Charlotte, which is his highest average against any team. (ESPN.com) Expect to see that same type of scoring from both of them.
Keys to the game:
Stopping LeBron is obviously easier said than done, so the Hornets should look to keep other players from going off if they want to win the game. If they can keep Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in check, then they may have a chance. In any case, the Kemba vs Kyrie matchup should prove to be entertaining.
Next: Charlotte's Not Going to Rest Players
It won’t be an easy one, but a win against the Cavaliers would not only be their first against the team this season, but it would give them confidence if they do make the playoffs, given that the Cavs would likely be their first round opponent.