Charlotte Hornets look to continue winning ways over Detroit Pistons

After narrowly defeating the Detroit Pistons at home on Wednesday, the Charlotte Hornets head to the Motor City to try and do it again.

The Charlotte Hornets (7-12) did just enough to defeat the Detroit Pistons (6-12) on Wednesday night. The fourth quarter was not ideal, as they only scored 16 points, but they had enough of a cushion to snag the win.

So now, they’ll travel to Detroit looking to get their ninth straight victory against the Pistons and third this season. The games have been close, with the Hornets winning by an average of just 2 points. Those were at home, however, and the Hornets haven’t exactly traveled well, winning just two road games this year.

In fact, all of their victories have been close, with their largest margin of victory being just 7 points. This one could end up being close as well, as the two teams appear to be evenly matched. Then again, the Pistons may come out angry and put the game away before the second half even begins.

Again, Charlotte’s last game was a 102-101 win over the Detroit Pistons. They are 10th in the Eastern Conference. Obviously, Detroit’s last game was against the Hornets and they are 11th in the East. This is the third of four match-ups this season.

Charlotte Hornets at Detroit Pistons
7:00 p.m. EST, Friday, November 29th, 2019
Little Caesars Arena
Fox Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

Malik Monk – Finger (Probable)

Cody Zeller – Hip (Probable)

DET:

Khyri Thomas – Foot (Out)

Reggie Jackson – Back (Out)

Things to watch for:

Hopefully Monk and Zeller can play, because the Hornets could certainly use their services. If not, look for more minutes for the role players. Having Cody would be especially helpful to set good screens so the others can attack Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin.

The Hornets took a huge step in regards to turnovers in their last game, accruing only 4 turnovers. Let’s hope they can keep that going because they’ve definitely been undisciplined at times throughout the year.

Keys to the game:

Play a full four quarters. As I mentioned before, the Hornets kind of went cold in the final quarter and it shouldn’t be that surprising for those paying attention. In fact, Charlotte is dead last in the league in terms of 4th quarter scoring, tallying just 24 points a game. Sure the team is lacking in experience, but you can’t go cold in the final minutes and expect to win many games.

And again, limiting turnovers certainly helped the Hornets stay in their last game, so protecting the basketball is key. Don’t force errant passes and make sure to not get careless.

The Hornets have a shot to extend their winning streak against the Detroit Pistons, but they’ll have a challenge playing on the road. Here’s hoping they don’t Thanksgiving hangover Friday night in Detroit.