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For the final time this season, the Charlotte Hornets (8-29; 14-23-0 ATS) and New Orleans Pelicans (24-17; 23-17-1 ATS) will lock horns. The first battle was in Charlotte, with the Pelicans winning 112-107. This time, Smoothie King Center in New Orleans will open its doors. Wednesday's clash is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Will the Pelicans rule again, or are the Hornets bringing revenge to the road?
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Charlotte's three-game road trip ends with this one in Louisiana. Hopefully, it'll also mark the end of a five-game losing streak, especially with LaMelo Ball back on the court. However, the team is still missing Gordon Hayward, Mark Williams, and potentially Brandon Miller (questionable). The Hornets are also 29th in defensive rating, which makes most games an uphill battle. They are in the league's bottom third at forcing misses from every level of the floor, including the worst three-point percentage against this season. Charlotte is 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage and 21st in free throw rate. Their greatest strength is the 12th-best turnover percentage. Getting stops is a major issue for this team.
Then, there's the offense, which has only reached 100 points once during their five-game losing streak. Charlotte is averaging 97.4 points per game in their past five contests. They're 27th in offensive rating and 28th in true shooting percentage this season. The Hornets have a bottom-10 shooting percentage from all three scoring levels. They're 10th in free throw percentage but take the fewest free throw attempts per game. Charlotte's offensive rebounding and ball security are below average. There are a lot of reasons that the Hornets have the league's worst net rating.