Charlotte Hornets look to bounce back in second game against 76ers

The Charlotte Hornets will look to split games with the Philadelphia 76ers, on Monday. Here are a few things look for in the second game of a back-to-back.

On Saturday night, the 76ers dissected the Hornets in the first quarter, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Sixers moved the ball around the horn, creating open shots and easy buckets. They also bullied the Hornets’ big men. In the game against the Grizzlies, Biyombo was the Charlotte Hornets’ leading scorer, getting 16 points. Joel Emiid and the Sixers held Biyombo to 8 points. If the Hornets want to win, they are going to need to have better play in the paint.

Another thing the Charlotte Hornets need to look for is shutting down Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons, not an easy task for any team. Harris scored 24 points, and Simmons was sneaky good, never having a big highlight play moment, but quietly earning himself a triple-double. Look for the Hornets to keep a closer eye on him.

Looking at the Hornets, they struggled mightily in the first quarter, but ratcheted things up for the remainder of the three quarters. Terry Rozier was the leading scorer, getting 35 points. He was followed by Gordon Hayward with 20 points and LaMelo Ball with 13.

Charlotte Hornets at Philadelphia 76ers
7:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, January 4th, 2021
Wells Fargo Center
Fox Sports Southeast

Stream: Fubo.tv

Injury Report: 

CHA: 

PJ Washington – Thumb Contusion (day-to-day)

Cody Zeller – Hand (Out)

PHI:

Furkan Korkmaz – Left Adductor Strain (Out)

Mike Scott – Knee (Out)

Things to Watch For:

1. Aggressiveness From Tip-off

As stated previously, the Charlotte Hornets struggled in the first quarter. They played slow on the defense, allowing the Sixers to have excellent ball movement, leading to wide-open looks. There were a few possessions where the Hornets had a total breakdown defensively, something that just can’t happen with regularity. Look for Coach Borrego to have his guys going from the start. I believe the Hornets will come out playing aggressive and motivated.

Also on this note, I don’t see Seth Curry going off again as he did in Saturday’s game. Over his career, Curry averages 10.2 points per game. On Saturday night he scored 21. There is every once in a while where a player gets hot and has a big night. I believe Saturday’s game was one of those nights.

2. Better Play in the Paint

As I said before, if the Charlotte Hornets want to win this game, they will need to have better play down low. Embiid had a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. This isn’t going to be an easy task, but then again neither is winning in the NBA. IT’s going to take a concerted effort from everyone to shut Emiid down.

3. Devonte’ Graham

There is no sugar coating it. Devonte’ Graham is in a little bit of a slump. In his last three games, Graham has gone 5/28 (17.9%) from the field and has a total of 17 points. Just like players who have hot nights, players can also have cold spells, and I believe that is what Graham is in right now. Graham is a competitor and he holds himself to a high standard. You better believe that he takes this drought personally. Look for his leadership skills to come out on Monday night.

Directly after the game on Saturday night, Devonte’ Graham went back on the court to shoot. This loss was not solely on Graham, but by him going back out on the court to shoot, shows that he believed he was a big contributor to the Hornets’ loss. Check out this video of him. This is what a true teammate and competitor looks like. Look for him to have a better game on Monday night.

The 76ers are a formidable opponent, so splitting a game apiece with them would do wonders for the Hornets’ confidence, something they will need on this 4 game road stretch. Let’s see if the guys can get back on the winning side of things.