Charlotte Hornets head to Orlando hoping to snap four-game losing streak
Things haven’t been going well for the Charlotte Hornets as of late. There’s certainly a lot ailing the team. Could a road game against the lowly Orlando Magic be just what the doctor ordered?
The Charlotte Hornets (23-33) are 56 games into the season and it’s not looking great. Losers of their last four by an average of almost 14 points a game, the team desperately needs a spark to get them going. Getting their third straight win over the Orlando Magic (18-38) would be a nice start.
As of now, ESPN projects that the Hornets have a 2.9% chance of making the playoffs. Seven games back of the last playoff spot isn’t ideal, but it’s not an impossible feat to overcome. Still, with 15 of their remaining 26 games coming on the road, it’s going to be an uphill battle. 14 of those games, however, are against teams below .500, so there’s still a glimmer of hope for your Hornets.
Charlotte is coming off a 103-123 loss to the Toronto Raptors. They are currently 10th in the East. Orlando’s last game was a 101-105 loss to the Chicago Bulls. They reside at the 14th spot in the East.
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Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets
7:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, February 14th, 2018
Amway Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
None
ORL:
Aaron Gordon – Hip (Game-time decision(
Nikola Vucevic – Hand (Out)
Jonathan Isaac – Ankle (Out)
Terrence Ross – Knee (Out)
Things to keep an eye on:
In their previous two matchups, the Hornets have killed Orlando on the boards, averaging almost 56 a game compared to Orlando’s 40. Given Charlotte’s prowess on the glass, expect that to continue. In their last game against the Magic, the Hornets shot a whopping 40 free throws, making 33 of them. I don’t expect that to happen again, but attacking the basket and drawing fouls, especially for Kemba Walker, would make for easy points.
Keys to the game:
Orlando is 22nd in the league in three-point field goal percentage, making just over 35%. In their two games against Charlotte this year, they’ve averaged less than that, shooting about 32%. With all their injuries and lack of firepower, it should be easy for Charlotte to keep that number down. As always, rebounding will be key. Oddly enough, Dwight Howard isn’t putting up huge numbers on the glass against the Magic thus far, sporting only 9 and 10 rebounds respectively in the previous two games. You’ve got to feel like he’s due, especially given the level of play he seeks against former teams.
Next: The roller coaster that is the Charlotte Hornets
We’re at the point where every game is a must-win for Charlotte. You can’t look past any team, but a banged up Magic team could prime material to get off a losing streak. We’ll see if the Hornets can spoil their Valentine’s Day Wednesday night in Orlando.