Charlotte Hornets return home to host the Phoenix Suns

After suffering a huge blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Charlotte Hornets will now return home to face the Phoenix Suns.

Not a lot of people thought the Charlotte Hornets (8-12) would fare well against the conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks. Being defeated by 41 points wasn’t something a lot of people thought would happen either, but that was exactly the outcome of the Hornets’ last game. Shooting 36% from the field while also allowing the other team to shoot nearly 60% is never going to win you games.

So, it’s time to return home, hoping to bounce back at the start of a five-game home-stand that should be fairly favorable for the guys in purple and teal. All five teams have losing records and most are at or near the bottom of their respective conferences. It all begins with a match-up against the Phoenix Suns (8-10). If all things go well, the Hornets could actually get back to .500, but that will take quite some effort.

Again, Charlotte’s last game was a 137-96 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. They are 9th in the Eastern Conference. The Suns’ last contest was a 120-113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. They are tied for 8th in the Western Conference. This is the first of two meetings between these two teams.

Charlotte Hornets vs Phoenix Suns
7:00 p.m. EST, Monday, December 2nd, 2019
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast

Stream: Fubo.tv

Injury Report:

CHA:

None

PHO:

Aron Baynes – Calf (Probable)

Mikal Bridges – Quad (Questionable)

Cheick Diallo – Illness (Out)

Ty Jerome – Ankle (Probable)

Cameron Johnson – Illness (Questionable)

Things to watch for:

Charlotte has won five straight over the Suns, with their last loss being well over two years ago. If all things go as they should, they should extend that streak. The injuries the Suns have sustained should make it a bit easier for the Hornets, so hopefully they can capitalize.

After starting the year on a fairly strong note, the Suns have had a string of losses that have put them almost out of the playoff race in the West. A young and hungry team like that could spell disaster for a Hornets squad if they’re not diligent. It would be best not to take this team lightly.

This will be the first time the Hornets face off against the man they picked 9th overall in the 2015 draft, Frank Kaminsky. I’m sure the players will be happy to see him, though it will be a bit weird to see him in a Suns uniform.

Keys to the game:

The Suns rank 2nd in the NBA in assists per game. This, combined with them ranking 6th in the league in points and 9th in field goal percentage, means the Hornets defense will have their hands full. That’s not good given how Charlotte has performed on the defensive side so far this year. They need to make sure they avoid leaving shooters open and try and disrupt passing lanes.

The Suns also commit the 5th most fouls in the NBA, fouling opposing players just over 23 times a game. Charlotte is just about the middle of the road in personal fouls drawn, but it would be a good idea to try and attack the basket and hope they get some calls that go their way. Of course, they have to actually make their free throws and that has been an issue at times.

The Hornets have a favorable section of games coming up and they’re all at home. They need to take advantage of this if they want to keep up with the other playoff-caliber teams in the East. This should be a game they can win, so hopefully, they can get it done Monday night in the Queen City.