Charlotte Hornets seek rebound win over Los Angeles Lakers
Back to back games are never easy in the NBA, especially when the second game is against LeBron James. Can the Charlotte Hornets pull off a rare win over King James and the Lakers?
If you’re an avid Charlotte Hornets (14-14) fan, you already know a few things that I’m going to write. You know the Hornets/Bobcats have struggled against LeBron James over the years. You may also know that he is 44-7 against Charlotte throughout his career. You are probably also aware that February of 2016 was the last time a Charlotte team beat a James led team.
So, all signs of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers (17-11) are not looking good. Anything can happen, though, but if Charlotte wants to break the trend, they might just need a miracle. I’m being a bit hyperbolic, of course, but it definitely won’t be easy.
Charlotte’s last game was a 124-126 overtime loss to the New York Knicks. They are currently 6th in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers’ last outing was a 111-126 loss to the Houston Rockets. They are 5th in the West. This is the first of two games against Los Angeles.
Charlotte Hornets vs Los Angeles Lakers
7:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, December 15th, 2018
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
None
LAL:
Brandon Ingram – Ankle (Out)
Rajon Rondo – Hand (Out)
Things to watch for:
Charlotte split the last back to back earlier in the season, winning over the Chicago Bulls, then losing to the Philadelphia 76ers the next night. Fans are obviously hoping they can split this one as well, especially after losing in the fashion they did Friday night.
On a bit of a sad note, this will be the last game in which long-time Hornets and Bobcats announcer, Stephanie Ready, will commentate. She’s been covering the team since 2004 and lots of fans have enjoyed her incredible insight over the years. Charlotte will definitely miss her. That should provide for some extra motivation.
Keys to the game:
Play a full four quarters.
Quite a few times, this season, the Hornets have attained sizable leads, only to see them dwindle late in games. It’s cost them in games they certainly should have won. If the Hornets do break out to a large lead, they need to not get complacent, keep their focus, and not let their foot off the gas.
It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that the Lakers are 6th in the NBA in field goal percentage. What is a bit surprising, however, is that they’re only 17th in three-point field goal percentage, converting only 35% from deep. That bodes well for a Charlotte squad that is 10th in the league in opponent three-point field goal percentage.
As far as LeBron, he’s shown that he can dominate this team. If he does in this game, the key would be not letting anyone else beat them. Let James get his, but keep everyone else in check.
Next. Can Lamb be the secondary closer the Hornets need?. dark
It’s certainly been a roller coaster season thus far for the guys in purple and teal. The team has yet to find consistency over a long span. A rare win over LeBron and the Lakers could be a nice jumpstart the team needs. Let’s hope they can pull off the upset and get a nice win Saturday night.