This Tuesday, the (13-34) Charlotte Hornets will travel to Phoenix, AZ to take on the (24-24) Phoenix Suns. Tipoff will be at 9:00 PM EST inside the Footprint Center. This will be the first time that these two teams have matched up this season, as I am expecting a battle in this one.
The Charlotte Hornets are coming into this one after defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 122-118. They looked great in the second half, as they will have to stay hot on the offensive end of the floor if they want to challenge the Suns on the road.
The Suns are entering this game after taking down the Memphis Grizzlies, 112-110. They showed up on the defensive end of the court, as the Grizzlies only shot 43.5% from the floor. They will have to stay efficient on the defensive end of the court if they want to challenge the Hornets at home.
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This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Charlotte Hornets are currently in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings, as they trail the Celtics by 22 games. On offense, they are scoring 112.6 points per game and they have shot 45.3% from the field. This is the 22nd most points scored per contest and the third-lowest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Hornets have an adjusted offensive rating of 110.8, which is the 28th-highest rating in the NBA. Terry Rozier continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the floor, as he is scoring 21.3 points per game on 41.4% shooting from the field. Charlotte has also shown that they struggle to knock down shots from deep. They have only shot 33% from deep, which is the lowest three-point shooting percentage in the league. Unfortunately, their struggles have continued at the charity stripe as well. They have only knocked down 75% of their shots at the line, which is the 25th-lowest free-throw shooting pe rcentage in the NBA. They can't continue to miss out on these free points and still expect to win these games.
On defense, the Hornets are allowing 118.9 points per game and their opponents have shot 48.3% from the field. This is the 28th least amount of points allowed per game and the 26th lowest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Hornets have an adjusted defensive rating of 116.2, which is the 27th lowest rating in the NBA. Charlotte has struggled to defend shots near the rim, but their perimeter defense has hurt them as well. They have allowed their opponents to shoot 36.4% from deep, which is the 21st-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed. They have also snatched 45 rebounds per game, which is the fifth most. They will have to crash the offensive and defensive glass if they want to stay competitive in this game.
Injury Report: LaMelo Ball PG (Ankle) is questionable. Cody Martin PF (Knee) is doubtful. Kelly Oubre Jr. SF (Hand) is out.
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