Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets look to rebound against the Milwaukee Bucks

By Elijah Edwards

Charlotte Hornets Tony Parker (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
Charlotte Hornets Tony Parker (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Inconsistency has plagued the Charlotte Hornets throughout most of this season. Their inability to defeat inferior teams along with not being able to close out wins against top teams in the East has many wondering just who the Hornets really are. We’ll know more when the Milwaukee Bucks storm into the Spectrum Center.

Sports are weird; you have situations where something seems like a sure thing, only to have the opposite happen. Whether it’s the New York Giants toppling the 18-0 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl or the 73-9 Golden State Warriors going up three games to one in the NBA Finals only to leave without the Larry O’Brien trophy; you never can truly predict what will happen.

This is certainly true for your Charlotte Hornets (9-10), who are an enigma wrapped in a mystery right now. Losses to teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks shouldn’t happen, but hey, that’s sports, right?

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Nearly beating the Philadelphia 76ers three times and the Milwaukee Bucks (14-5) in the first game of the season are also things most fans wouldn’t expect, but here we are.

With the Hornets, you just don’t know what you’re going to get on a nightly basis. You could totally keep up with the Warriors one night and then get blown out by the Cavs the next.

Even the captain, Kemba Walker, has nights where you’re left scratching your head. This kind of inconsistency definitely isn’t good for morale, for both the players and fans.

Morale could certainly be lifted Monday night with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. As mentioned before, Charlotte nearly pulled off a win against the Bucks in the first game of the season, losing 112-113. Alas, the curse of close games the team seems to have this year got to them.

Charlotte’s last game was a 123-124 loss at Atlanta. They are currently 8th in the East. Milwaukee’s previous stint was a 135-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs. They are 2nd in the East. This is the second of four games the teams will play against each other this season.

Charlotte Hornets vs Milwaukee Bucks
7:00 p.m. EST, Monday, November 26th, 2018
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – Ankle  (Questionable)

MIL:

Donte DiVincenzo – Knee (Questionable)

D.J Wilson – Hamstring (Questionable)

John Henson – Wrist (Out)

Ersan Ilyasova – Knee (Questionable)

Things to watch for:

Charlotte is 3-1 so far in back to back games this year. As mentioned before, they lost last night, so they’ll either improve to 4-2 or fall to 3-3 in back to backs after this one. Although he’s on the other team, it’s always fun watching Giannis Antetokounmpo play, though it’s more fun when the Hornets actually beat him and the Bucks, which they did twice last year.

Keys to the game:

In their previous game against Milwaukee, the Bucks had six players score in double figures. Charlotte should try and make sure that does not happen again, considering they barely had four guys score in double figures. It would also be wise to ensure that someone else besides Kemba can provide some scoring.

If you remember, he had 41 points. Malik Monk did pour in 18 to help, but it was on 7-16 shooting, which isn’t remarkable. To no one’s surprise, the Bucks are in the top 10 in most statistical categories, but one area of note is their inability to create turnovers, in which they rank 24th in the NBA. This, combined with Charlotte ranking 2nd in the league regarding ball security, gives them some advantage, as long as they are efficient in taking care of the basketball.

Rebounding, to me, is one of the most underrated aspects of basketball. It can either create opportunities for second-chance points on offense or negate the opportunity for second-chance points for the opposing team. The Bucks are first in the league in that. That shouldn’t come as a shock, but it’s something the team needs to emphasize.

Also. 3 players that stood out in loss to Atlanta. light

The Charlotte Hornets nearly got it done way back on October 17th. They’ve shown they can compete with the top teams in the East, but they’ll need to find someone else besides Kemba to contribute and try and limit what Milwaukee can do on the glass to come out with a win. We’ll see if they can take down the Bucks Monday night in the Queen City.

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