In the second game of a back-to-back in the very same building, the Charlotte Hornets hope to defeat Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Back-to-backs aren’t fun. Even worse when they’re on the road. Even worse still when they’re against two of the top teams in the NBA. That’s where the Charlotte Hornets (1-2) find themselves on Monday evening.
Having just faced the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night, they’ll turnaround and face the other team from L.A., the Los Angeles Clippers (2-1). This will obviously be in the STAPLES Center again, as this is the second game on a California-oriented road trip.
The Clippers currently have a three-game winning streak against Charlotte, with the Hornets last winning back in November of 2017. The last win before that? January of 2014. Needless to say, L.A. has been the dominant one in this series over the past several years.
Charlotte’s last outing was a 120-101 loss against the Lakers. They are tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference. LA.’s last game was a 122-130 loss to the Phoenix Suns. They are tied for third in the Western Conference. This is the first of two games against the Clippers.
Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Clippers
10:30 p.m. EST, Monday, October 28th, 2019
STAPLES Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Streaming: Fubo.tv
Injury Report:
CHA:
Nicolas Batum – Finger (Out)
LAC:
Amir Coffey – Ankle (Out)
Paul George – Shoulder (Out)
Rodney McGruder – Ankle (Out)
Things to watch for:
With Paul George out, this will be a little easier for the Charlotte Hornets, but it will still be quite the test. The Clippers have more than enough to make up for his absence, though, so expect a challenge.
Fatigue could also be an issue, as well, as back-to-backs tend to take it out of you, especially for the rookies. Hopefully our guys got plenty of rest after last night’s game.
Speaking of rest, you’ll want to make sure you’re rested, as this is gonna be a late one, especially if it ends up going into overtime. You may want to brew a pot of coffee, if that’s your thing.
Keys to the game:
Three games are obviously a small sample size, but the Clippers rank 1st and 3rd in the NBA in field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage respectively. Hopefully, the Clips have an off night, but if not, the Hornets have to make them take as many contested shots as possible.
Los Angeles ranks just 21st in the league in opponent three-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 38% from behind the arc. Coming in, the Hornets rank 1st in the league in three-point field goal percentage.
This bodes well for them if they can get open from deep. The Inside-out game would prove to be very important if they can get it going.
This West Coast road trip is a daunting one, but it’s one the Hornets can weather if they play well. Here’s hoping they leave the STAPLES Center with a W.