Through their first twenty games this season, the Charlotte Hornets have won one road game. No matter how you look at it, that’s not good. There’s still time to improve on that, but it’s certainly a hurdle. The next step on that journey is in Miami against the Heat.
1-9. That’s the current Charlotte Hornets‘ (8-12) road record. To put a little salt in the wound, that’s good for second worst in the league behind the Chicago Bulls. Considering that half of a team’s games are on the road, having success means you gotta win some of those.
It’s only the first of December, though, so it’s still a bit early. Still, a road win against the Miami Heat (10-11) on Friday night would be a really nice start.
Charlotte is coming off a 113-126 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Toronto. They currently reside at 12th in the East. Miami is coming off a loss of their own, having been defeated by the New York Knicks in New York, 86-115. They are 10th in the East.
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Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat
8:00 p.m. EST, Friday, December 1st, 2017
American Airlines Arena
Broadcast on Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Jeremy Lamb – Knee (Probable)
Kemba Walker – Shoulder (Out)
MIA:
Hassan Whiteside – Knee (Out)
Okaro White – Foot (Out)
Rodney McGruder – Leg (Out)
Things to keep an eye on:
This will be the second straight game the Hornets will be without the services of All-Star Kemba Walker. That means someone like Dwight Howard, Nicolas Batum, or Jeremy Lamb will have to shoulder the scoring duties. Without the services of Hassan Whiteside, Dwight should be able to dominate against Rookie Bam Adebayo. We’ll see if the seasoned vet gets the better of the young guy.
Keys to the game:
The Miami Heat are in the bottom third in the league in terms of field goal percentage, shooting only 44.5% from the floor. The bad news is that the Hornets are four spots lower, shooting 44.3 %. This could be an ugly game and may end up coming down to the glass. Rebounding is an often overlooked stat, but it’s one of the most important. Miami is 27th in the league in offensive boards, meaning they’re not going get as many second-chance points. Being aggressive on the defensive glass will help create fast-break opportunities for the Hornets and will keep the ball out of the Heat’s hands.
Next: Five things to look forward to for Charlotte
This is certainly one the Hornets can win, but without Kemba, it’ll be difficult. Someone will have bear the scoring load and post play will be key. We’ll see if the Hornets can remain cool against the Heat Friday night in Miami.