The Charlotte Hornets are set to embark on a four-game road trip that will test them. Can they start things off with a win in Dallas over the Mavericks?
Just over a month ago, the Charlotte Hornets (26-27) had one of their worst losses of the year. That came at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks (24-28). Fans and players alike haven’t forgotten that night, as the Mavs obliterated the Hornets at home by nearly 40 points, with the final being 122-84.
To make things worse, it set the Hornets below .500 before going on a brutal six-game road stretch of which Charlotte would win only two. So, it’s fair to say that the Hornets are eagerly waiting for this one. Any time you allow a team to score 42 points in a quarter and let them make 18 three-pointers, you’re going to want to avenge a performance like that.
Charlotte’s last game was a 115-117 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. They are in the 7th spot in the East. Dallas’ last game was a 111-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are 12th in the Western Conference. This is the final game against Dallas for the Hornets.
Charlotte Hornets at Dallas Mavericks
8:30 p.m. EST, Wednesday, February 6th, 2019
American Airlines Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Tony Parker – Ankle (Game-Time Decision)
DAL:
Kristaps Porzingis – Knee (Out)
J.J. Barea – Achilles (Out)
Things to watch for:
This is the last game for the Hornets before the trade deadline. Although they’re already working on deals, this will probably be the last time you’ll see certain players in a Charlotte uniform. It’s gonna be interesting to see how different the team will look after this game.
In their last game against the Mavs, the Hornets’ leading scorer, Kemba Walker, only had 11 points on 4-14 shooting. That cannot happen again if the Hornets want to win this game.
Keys to the game:
There have been times this season where the Hornets’ perimeter defense has been very lacking. That was the case in the last game against the Mavs. It’s tough to win giving up 18 threes, especially when you only make six yourself.
The Hornets need to stop over-committing on double teams in the paint as that has left them vulnerable to outside shooters quite a few times this season. It’s not like the Mavs are a great shooting team from outside, as they only rank 20th in three-point shooting.
One has to think that their last game against Dallas was an anomaly, but Charlotte has played down to inferior teams numerous times this year. If they do that again, they’ll be in a precarious situation with three more road games coming up. Here’s hoping they can split the season series with the Mavs Wednesday night.