Charlotte Hornets hope for a win on Classic Night against the new-look Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a thorn in the Charlotte Hornets’ side so far this season, can they turn it around and finally get a win against them?

It’s no secret that Philadelphia 76ers (10-7) have had the Charlotte Hornets‘ (7-7) number this year. In fact, it even goes further than that with Charlotte’s last victory over Philly coming on November 2nd, 2016. That’s eight straight losses for the Hornets against the 76ers.

The good news is that in the two games these teams have played against each other, the combined margin of victory is just three points. So, the Hornets have shown they can compete with Philly, but they just can’t close the games out, which has been their kryptonite for some time.

Still, this is their first home game against the 76ers, so that might just tip the scales in the team’s favor. It won’t be easy, though, as the 76ers have added a potent new asset in Jimmy Butler. This will Butler’s third game with Philadelphia, so the team will still be adjusting to him in the lineup.

The Hornets are coming off a terrible 89-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They currently are 7th in the East. Philadelphia is coming off a 113-107 win against the Utah Jazz. They are 4th in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte Hornets vs. Philadelphia 76ers
7:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, November 17th, 2018
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – Ankle (Out)

PHI:

Justin Patton – Foot (Out)

Zhaire Smith – Foot (Out)

Things to watch for:

It’s Classic Night, meaning the team will don those glorious retro jerseys and play on that beautiful classic court from the 90’s. The team will also be honoring the ten players selected to the 30th Anniversary Team.

Basketball-wise, this will be the first time the Hornets see the 76ers with their new star player. The trio of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler could be very formidable… if Jimmy Butler plays nice, that is. Losing two close games to a playoff caliber team should get under the Hornets’ skin, so you know they want to come out hot, especially given the festivities.

Keys to the game:

One word: Discipline.

Joel Embiid by himself shot 22 free throws in their last game, making 19 of them. Granted, most fans might agree there was just a bit of home cooking in that game, but that doesn’t mean Charlotte shouldn’t avoid costly fouls.

Speaking of Embiid, he’s averaging 34.5 points a game and 16.5 rebounds in two games against Charlotte this year. He’s been phenomenal against pretty much everyone, but he’s really excelled against the Hornets.

I feel like the only real way you’re going to stop him is to get him in foul trouble to keep him off the court. Driving to the paint and drawing fouls would certainly help.  Other than that, try and make sure that Butler and Simmons can’t go off as well.

It’s likely the Hornets aren’t going win the rebound battle given that the Sixers are 3rd in the league in rebounds, mostly due to Embiid, of course. So, it’s a must that the Hornets take efficient shots and try getting an extra pass in here and there in order to open up looks.

It’s got to be disappointing to lose to the same team twice in very contested games. The team is there, they just need to find what it takes to get over the hump. We’ll see if they can do just that Saturday night in the Queen City.