Charlotte Hornets hope to end losing streak against the Sacramento Kings
The Charlotte Hornets look to end their road drought with a win over the Sacramento Kings.
The Charlotte Hornets could not pull off a win in the fourth road game of their road trip; losing 127-96 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. The Hornets will now travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Saturday night.
The Hornets could not stop the trailblazers from scoring in the loss; showcasing their lack of defensive effort. Charlotte will need to clean this up, as they take on a young and hungry Kings team.
Charlotte is now sitting at a 19-22 record, while the Kings are sitting at a record of 21-21. This game is a winnable one for the Hornets, but the Hornets must clean up their offensive and defensive struggles.
Charlotte Hornets at Sacramento Kings
10:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, January 12th, 2019
Golden 1 Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Tony Parker – Rest (Probable)
Cody Zeller – Hand (Out)
SAC:
None
Things to watch for:
With Tony Parker likely to be out of Saturday night’s game, it will be important to focus on Devonte’ Graham, as he will play in place of Parker. Tony is resting in the following game, so Graham will have a nice opportunity to showcase his skills more.
Kemba Walker only scored eighteen points in the loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday night. Look for Walker to come out hot against the Kings. I expect Walker to finish the game with over twenty-five points.
The Hornets have a history of playing well against the Kings in Sacramento. In the Hornets’ last game in Sacramento, the Hornets were able to defeat the kings 131-111.
The Hornets currently have a three-game winning streak against the Kings. Charlotte leads the Kings 30-26 in all-time wins to losses in franchise history. It would be nice for Charlotte to get their thirty-first win over the Kings on Saturday night.
Keys to the game:
The main key for the Hornets in this game will be to lock down Buddy Hield. Heild is currently averaging 20.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game for the Kings this season.
It will be important for the Hornets to make sure they lock down the kings on defense. The Sacramento Kings are currently ranked #5 in the NBA with 114.9 points per game.
The Hornets have lacked perimeter defense in their recent games; not defending the three-point line against the Kings could be dangerous. The Kings are currently ranked #2 in the NBA in 3P% with 39%.
It will also be essential for the Hornets to win the battle on the glass against the Kings. The Hornets are currently ranked #21 in the NBA with 44.3 rebounds per game, while the Kings are listed at #18 with 44.6.
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The Hornets must win this game over Sacramento if they wish to get back on track. Following this game, the Hornets will travel to San Antonio on Monday to take on the Spurs; this will be their final game on their road trip out west.