The Charlotte Hornets’ two-game stint in the Staples Center didn’t go their way. Can they salvage this road trip against the Sacramento Kings?
It’s been a rough start to the season for the Charlotte Hornets (1-3). Outside of a one-point win over the Chicago Bulls, they’ve definitely struggled thus far. Many fans knew it would be a difficult year for the team, but they’ve played rather well on this road trip, for the most part.
The problem is closing out games. In their three losses, they’ve been outscored by an average of almost 17 points in the second half. They’re competitive in the first half and through some of the third quarter, but completely fall flat after that.
There is good news, however. Their next opponent, the Sacramento Kings (0-4), are having an even rougher time so far. Three out of their four losses have been by ten or more points, with two of those being outright blowouts. This could be the perfect opportunity for the Hornets to get back on track.
Charlotte’s last game was a 111-96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. They are 12th in the Eastern Conference. Sacramento’s last contest was a 101-94 loss to the Denver Nuggets. They are last in the Western Conference. This is the first of two meetings between these teams.
Charlotte Hornets at Sacramento Kings
10:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, October 30th, 2019
Golden 1 Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Streaming: Fubo.tv
Injury Report:
CHA:
Nicolas Batum – Finger (Out)
SAC:
Marvin Bagley III – Thumb (Out)
Harry Giles – Knee (Questionable)
Things to watch for:
This match-up features the two teams with the largest negative point differentials in the league. Charlotte has a -13.8 point differential and the Kings have a whopping -19.5. This one could be pretty ugly, but you never know. If the Hornets can play a full four quarters, this one should be in the bag.
The Kings haven’t swept the season series since the 2014-2015 season. Even though it’s a road game, the Hornets might just be able to avoid that happening again.
Keys to the game:
On top of the point differential thing, this game also features two of the worst rebounding teams in the league, with Charlotte being 29th in rebounds and Sacramento not much better at 26th. Sacramento’s woes on the glass primarily come on the defensive end, but on the offensive boards, they’re actually 9th in the league in that category. Part of that is their terrible shooting percentage, where they rank 28th in the NBA, but it would still behoove the Hornets to keep the Kings off the offensive glass.
Neither team also attempts that many free-throws, where Charlotte ranks just 25th and the Kings rank 22nd. Shots at the charity stripe could come at a premium in this one, so Charlotte needs to make the most of them. That’s something they’ve struggled with at times over the start of the season, so hopefully, they can iron that out.
There are two games left on this road trip, meaning two games left in which to even the record of this getaway. If Charlotte wants to keep abreast of the competition in the East, they need these next two. Here’s hoping they can get it done Wednesday in Sacramento.