Charlotte Hornets Hope to Continue Their Playoff Push Against the Bucks
The Charlotte Hornets are on a bit of a roll late in the season. Winners of four of their last five, they aren’t giving up on hopes of making the playoffs. They’ll have a tough matchup when the formidable Bucks come to town Tuesday night.
If there was ever a time for the Charlotte Hornets (33-40) to make a run, it is now. As of today, they sit just two games back of the 8th place Miami Heat. During this run, the Hornets have been playing really well. Outside of their loss against Cleveland Cavaliers (a game that honestly was in the Hornets’ grasp), the team’s offense has been nothing less than stellar, averaging 108 points in their four wins.
The Hornets will need to continue their prolific play when the Milwaukee Bucks (37-36) come to the Spectrum Center Tuesday evening. Their last contest was the first game of the season, back on October 26th. The Hornets won that game 107-96 and Giannis Antetokounmpo was the leading scorer with 31 points.
The Hornets are coming off a 120-106 win against the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks are coming off a 94-109 loss against the Chicago Bulls. The Hornets have won 4 of their last 5 against the Bucks overall.
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Charlotte Hornets vs Milwaukee Bucks
7 p.m. EST, Tuesday, March 28th, 2017
Spectrum Center
Broadcast on FOX Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Johnny O’Bryant (Ankle Sprain) – OUT
MIL:
John Henson (Thumb Sprain) – Questionable
Jabari Parker (Knee) – Out
Michael Beasley (Knee) – Out
Things to watch for:
The Hornets’ recent success is due in part to their ball distribution. In their last four wins, the Hornets are averaging 26 assists per game, which is good for 10th in the league during that span. (NBA.com) Now, that doesn’t sound that great, but when you combine that with the fact that the Hornets commit the fewest turnovers in the NBA (NBA.com), then you have a winning recipe.
Keys to the game:
The Bucks are also fairly unselfish with the ball, ranking 5th in the league in assists per game. (NBA.com) The Hornets will need to be alert on defense and make sure to disrupt passing lanes.
The Hornets will also have their hands full with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The forward out of Greece is a scoring force inside, averaging 23.7 points per game. The Hornets will need to be physical with him in order to combat his post play.
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It’s do-or-die time for Charlotte right now, but a win over a solid Bucks team will certainly do wonders for their postseason aspirations.