The Charlotte Hornets are in a very precarious situation regarding playoff positioning. A win over the Houston Rockets would help them immensely.
Things are looking rough right now for the Charlotte Hornets (28-32). They’re 2-6 over the last eight games and are in very real danger of falling out of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. Add in a very tough slate of upcoming games featuring some of the better teams in the league, and you have what could be the most pivotal point in the Hornets’ season.
I do try to remain positive, however, and as always, I do believe that any team can get hot at the right time. Still, it will be difficult for Charlotte given their schedule, but with a Houston Rockets (35-25) squad that is only 14-16 away from home, this next game could be just what the Hornets need.
History has not been kind to the Hornets in this series. In the 57 games in which these two teams have played, Charlotte has only won 14 games to Houston’s 43. In fact, Charlotte has only won once in the last seven years. Perhaps they’re due? One can hope.
Charlotte’s last game was a 110-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors at home. They fought valiantly and kept the game close for the most part, but couldn’t get the stops they needed to pull out a win. As mentioned before, they are in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. Houston’s last contest was a 119-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks. They are 5th in the Western Conference. This is the first of two games against the Rockets.
Charlotte Hornets vs Houston Rockets
7:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, February 27th, 2019
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Marvin Williams – Toe (Game-Time Decision)
HOU:
None
Things to watch for:
This will be the first time Charlotte will see defending NBA MVP, James Harden. It’ll be interesting to see what the Hornets can do to stop him. It’s yet another Classic Night at the Spectrum Center, so the team will be sporting those iconic jerseys and playing on that gorgeous retro court. If you’re going to the game, get yourself a free fanny pack if you arrive early enough.
Keys to the game:
Houston isn’t a very efficient team from the floor. Their 44.6% from the field is good for just 27th in the league. This bodes well for a Charlotte team that has been allowing teams to shoot just under 49% from the floor over the past five games. Charlotte would like to play tight defense and bother shooters, as letting a poor shooting team go off on you would not be ideal.
The Rockets are also not a great rebounding team. They rank 27th in the NBA in that category as well and are dead last in defensive rebounds. Crashing the offensive glass whenever Charlotte does miss will be key in this one.
The Hornets can not afford to lose this game if they want to remain in the top eight in the East. Most fans may not think they have a shot, but this is a very winnable game if Charlotte plays to their strengths. This should be a good one Wednesday night in the Spectrum Center.