Charlotte Hornets look to weather the storm against the Thunder in OKC
With a litany of injuries and a three-game losing streak, the Hornets are looking for any kind of spark to get them going. A much-needed road win against one of the better teams in the NBA would give them just that.
As of now, there’s not a lot to celebrate if you’re a Charlotte Hornets fan. At 9-16, the team is underperforming and many fans are scratching their heads. There are still plenty of games to be played, however, but if the Hornets want to start making some sort of improvement, it almost has to be now. They can start tonight by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder (12-13) in OKC.
That task might not be so easy, though, considering the abysmal road record the Hornets are sporting right now. 1-10 on the road is not going to help any team in the slightest. There are still 31 road games left to play, but there needs to be some sense of urgency. If the Hornets can snag a win here, this might just be the catalyst for a winning formula.
The Hornets are coming off a 110-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. They are 13th in the East. The Thunder are fresh off a 102-101 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. They are 9th in the West.
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Charlotte Hornets at Oklahoma City Thunder
8:00 p.m. EST, Monday, December 11th, 2017
Chesapeake Energy Arena
Broadcast on Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Jeremy Lamb – Lower Leg (Questionable)
Nicolas Batum – Elbow (Questionable)
Frank Kaminsky – Ankle (Questionable)
Cody Zeller – Knee (Out)
OKC:
Paul George – Calf (Questionable)
Andre Roberson – Ankle (Questionable)
Things to keep an eye on:
Despite their All-Star players, the Thunder have struggled against the lower tier teams in the NBA. They have losses against the Mavericks, Nets, Kings, and Magic. Those teams have a combined record of 36-70. While this seemingly bodes well for the Hornets given their record, one must remember that this is a road game. Then again, something’s gotta give, right? At some point, the Hornets have to win another road game, so why not this one? Still, going up against Russell Westbrook will prove to be quite the test for Kemba Walker and company.
Keys to the game:
The three-headed monster of Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype. Still, given the Hornets’ defensive woes as of late, this game could get away from them fast. OKC ranks 28th in the league in field goal percentage so that works in the Hornets’ favor given they’re allowing 48.9% from the field as of late. Locking down Westbrook isn’t really an option unless he flat out has a bad game. If Kemba can keep up with him, this could be an interesting matchup. One would figure that Dwight Howard could abuse Steven Adams, but given their physical play, foul trouble could be an issue.
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The Hornets need to get something going. As of now, they’re almost in a hole too deep to get out of, but a sorely needed road win could help give them a foothold. We’ll see if they can finally get a second road win Monday night in OKC.