Charlotte Hornets: Game preview and things to watch against the Bucks
After winning two straight games, the Charlotte Hornets look to continue their success in the first home game of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Charlotte Hornets (21-38) are set to play four straight home games. They will kick off their four-game home stand against the Milwaukee Bucks (51-8); this will be the final game between the two teams this season.
During the first two matchups against the Bucks, the Hornets were not able to come out with a win. The first game resulted in a blowout loss, while the second one was a lot closer, as both teams played in Pairs, France.
Heading into this game, the Hornets are on a two-game winning streak. The Hornets won their last game 99-96 against the Toronto Raptors, while the Bucks’ previous game was a 133-86 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Milwaukee Bucks
1:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, March 1st, 2020
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast
Stream: Fubo.tv
Injury Report:
CHA:
None
MIL:
Khris Middleton – Neck (Questionable)
Kyle Korver – Back (Questionable)
Things to watch for:
Entering this game, the Hornets have gotten better with each matchup. The Hornets almost had a chance to come out with a victory in their last matchup in Pairs, and it’ll be interesting to see if the team has improved from that game.
This will be the first time in six years where the Hornets will faceoff against Marvin Williams. The veteran accepted a buyout after the trade deadline, and then he went on to sign with the best team in the league.
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The Hornets have gotten a lot of production from their starters in the past two games, and the team’s backcourt has been leading them. In the previous two games, Terry Rozier has averaged 22 points, while Devonte’ Graham has averaged 19.5 points. The team could be poised to pull off a huge upset if these two play well.
Keys to the game:
To start with the obvious, a major key for this game will be to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the last matchup, the Hornets did well in guarding Antetokounmpo early, but they failed to guard him later in the game.
The Bucks have one of the best defensive teams in the league, so every possession will count in this one. The Hornets pulled off a huge win against the Raptors on Friday after committing 18 turnovers; the Hornets will be unable to win if they commit this many turnovers again.
The Bucks are the 4th best team in the league in made threes per game. The Hornets have to run the Bucks off the three-point line and force them to take tough mid-range shots. Forcing tough shots will allow the Hornets to grab rebounds and run their high-tempo offense.
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A win in this game would shock the entire league, as the Bucks have only lost eight games. Winning this game could put the Hornets in the 9th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, while losing will keep them at the 10th spot.