Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets Look to Win Their Third Straight as They Travel to OKC

By Elijah Edwards

Jan 4, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard forward Nicolas Batum (5) shoots a jump shot as he is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. The Hornets won 123-112. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard forward Nicolas Batum (5) shoots a jump shot as he is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. The Hornets won 123-112. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Winners of their last two, the Charlotte Hornets will need to continue their success against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Charlotte Hornets (35-41) currently sit two games back of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. With six games left, the window is certainly closing on the team’s postseason hopes. Despite their bleak outlook, the team isn’t showing signs of giving up. They’ve won six of their last 10, including a three-game winning streak against divisional opponents. It doesn’t get any easier, however, as five of their next six come against opponents with winning records.

One of those opponents is the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-32), led by MVP candidate Russell Westbrook. The Hornets defeated the Thunder 123-112 in Charlotte on January 4th. Westbrook led all scorers with 33 points. Nicolas Batum led the Hornets with 28 points. Charlotte is 1-0 against OKC this season but, had previously lost 11 straight games against the Thunder, with their last win coming on March 17, 2010.

MKG will once again be tasked with attempting to slow down Westbrook. Much like the Hornets, OKC will only go as far as their all-star point guard takes them. Charlotte has never won a game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

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Charlotte Hornets @ Oklahoma City Thunder

3 p.m. EST, Sunday, April 2nd, 2017

Chesapeake Energy Arena

Broadcast on FOX Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

Johnny O’Bryant (Out) – Ankle Sprain

OKC:

Taj Gibson (Questionable) – Illness

What to watch for:

Russell Westbrook is not only averaging a triple-double this year but, also leads the NBA in scoring with nearly 32 a game. He’s most likely going to dominate, so it will be interesting to see how Steve Clifford addresses him defensively. Hoping he has an off night is just about all one could hope for. Nevertheless, the Hornets have shown that even if he does go off, the team can weather the storm. Kemba Walker will hopefully be able to counter him offensively.

Keys to the game:

It’s hard to stop a superstar like Westbrook. The best the Hornets can do is keep the rest of the team from beating them. Westbrook will surely look to get others involved as he averages just over 10 assists per game. If the Hornets can clog the lanes and disrupt Westbrook’s passing, then that will help to make OKC more one-dimensional.

Next: Kemba Looks to Carry Hornets Into Playoffs

Winning on the road hasn’t been something the Hornets have prevailed at much this season (the team is just 13-24 away from Charlotte this season), but every game is a must-win at this point. The Hornets have shown that they can compete with the better teams in the league at times. Hopefully, the team can steal one on Sunday and continue to make their playoff push.

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