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For the first time this season, the Charlotte Hornets (10-36; 16-30-0 ATS) and Oklahoma City Thunder (33-15; 30-18-0 ATS) are set to collide on the court. Friday night's matchup is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. EDT in Paycom Center. Charlotte comes into this game with five consecutive victories over the Thunder. Is the streak going to continue, or is Oklahoma City ready to get revenge?
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Charlotte is last in net rating and on a four-game losing streak entering Oklahoma City. Injuries, including LaMelo Ball (questionable) and Gordon Hayward (out), have plagued this team. They're last in defensive rating this season. The Hornets are the worst team at defending three-pointers and they aren't much better inside the arc. They're below average in defensive rebounding percentage, turnover percentage, and defensive free throw rate. When it comes to getting stops, Charlotte struggles in almost every way.
On the other end of the floor, the Hornets are only 27th in offensive rating. Injuries haven't helped, but isn't the only reason that Charlotte is 28th in true shooting percentage. They struggle to hit shots from all three scoring levels. Along with that, the Hornets average the fewest free throw attempts per game. This team is 23rd in offensive rebounding percentage and 20th in turnover pe rcentage. The end of the season can't come soon enough for Charlotte.