Sunday, March 15, 2015

Hornets Extra: A look at the Eastern Conference Standings

With the playoff races heating up down the stretch in the last few weeks of the 2014-15 NBA regular season, we have decided to start giving you the fans updates on the latest teams vying for playoff position, as well as the latest on the heated battle for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, in which the Charlotte Hornets are involved with at this moment in time.

Last night, the Pacers lost their game to the Boston Celtics, meaning that the Hornets gained some ground in their chances of moving up to the 7th seed, while the Miami Heat had the night off. So entering play today, the standings look like this:

1. Atlanta Hawks: 51-14, Clinched playoff berth

2. Cleveland Cavailers: 42-25


3. Toronto Raptors: 39-26


4. Chicago Bulls: 40-27


5. Washington Wizards: 38-28


6. Milwaukee Bucks: 34-32


7. Indiana Pacers: 30-35


8. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: 29-35

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Miami Heat: 29-36

10. Boston Celtics: 29-36


11. Brooklyn Nets: 26-38

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets 101, Bulls 91







91





101

With the final few weeks of the regular season rapidly approaching, the time for the Charlotte Hornets to make a major statement in the battle for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race is now, and last night, before a sellout crowd of 19,183 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte battled back twice and would eventually pull away from the Chicago Bulls, as they ended their short losing streak and got back on the winning track with a 101-91 win, as the Hornets improve to 29-35 on the season, and move back into sole possession of 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

It was indeed a solid, but yet, terrific win, according to Hornets head coach Steve Clifford. "Do we need everybody to bring it every night? Yes we do, and for 18 games, we can do that." Clifford said on what his team must do in the next 18 games to clinch back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in the modern era of Charlotte NBA Basketball(2004-present).

"We just try harder." said Gerald Henderson, who led the way with 20 points in the win for the Hornets, as he was one of 7 players that reached double figures for Charlotte in the win. Joining him were Mo Williams, who has continuously been playing strong basketball since he was acquired by the Hornets two weeks ago, and he finished with 18 points on the night. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a good game in the win, ending it with 13 points, while Marvin Williams added in 12 in the effort, with Bismack Biyombo, Kemba Walker, and Jason Maxiell all adding in 10 points each, with Biyombo adding in 10 rebounds in his start in the place of Al Jefferson.

Chicago was led in scoring by Aaron Brooks, who had a game-high 24 points in the loss for the Bulls, while Pau Gasol added in 18 points.  The Hornets will hit the road for a tough 5-game road trip, which gets started on Monday night in Salt Lake City, as they square off against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena for a 9:00 p.m. start.

Updated Eastern Conference Standings

1. Atlanta Hawks: 51-14^
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: 42-25
3. Toronto Raptors: 39-26
4. Chicago Bulls: 40-27
5. Washington Wizards: 37-28
6. Milwaukee Bucks: 34-31
7. Indiana Pacers: 30-34
8. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: 29-35
---------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Miami Heat: 29-36
10. Boston Celtics: 28-36
11. Brooklyn Nets: 25-38

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets 115, Nets 91






115



91

As we head towards the final two months of the 2014-15 NBA season, it is time for many teams to come up with some key "Statement" wins if they want to improve their chances of making it to the NBA Playoffs, and for the Charlotte Hornets, last night's game was indeed a "Statement" win on the road, coming away with a 115-91 triumph over the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center for their third straight win, while improving their mark on the season to 26-33, while moving into sole possession of 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

"I felt like the team wanted it more was going to win the game. It's just, the teams are so matched and I felt like for the most part we came out and punched them in the mouth early." said Mo Williams, who finished up with 14 points on 14 assists on the night in the win for Charlotte, which included 9 assists in the first quarter, which was two shy of the mark for assists in a quarter in Charlotte NBA history(Michael Holton had 11 assists in a quarter on 12/1/89), and he also got some help, lots of it from his fellow Hornets teammates, including Al Jefferson and Gerald Henderson, who co-led the Hornets with 19 points, while Marvin Williams added in 18, not to mention Cody Zeller adding in 13 off the bench.

On the night, Charlotte would finish the game shooting 49.4% from the field overall, and the even out-rebounded Brooklyn by a plus-11 margin(49-38).

The Nets were led in the loss by Deron Williams, who had 11 points.  The Hornets are off today, and they'll jump back into action tomorrow night at "The Hive" as they welcome in the Toronto Raptors to Time Warner Cable Arena for a 7:00 p.m. start.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets @ 76ers

Charlotte Hornets(22-27) vs. Philadelphia 76ers(11-40)

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Last meeting: Charlotte 109, Philadelphia 91

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): CHA leads series 52-39

The Charlotte Hornets hope to make it 4 straight wins tonight, as they pay a visit to Philadelphia to face the 76ers in a Eastern Conference match-up.  Charlotte is coming off a win over the Washington Wizards back on Thursday night at "The Hive", behind Gerald Henderson's 27 point performance to lead the Hornets, while Philadelphia on the other hand suffered a 107-96 loss at the hands of the Celtics last night in Boston.






Scouting the Hornets

Over the last few games, the Charlotte Hornets have been playing good basketball with a 12-3 mark over a 15-game span.  In Thursday's game at home against Washington, which saw Charlotte come back to win 94-87, the Hornets blocked a season high 15 shots, which was good for the second-best game total in blocks in the history of Charlotte NBA basketball(16 was the franchise record set back on November 25, 2009).  Tonight in Philly, the Hornets are out for their fourth-straight win, as they battle the 76ers in the first of a back-to-back set, with Charlotte returning home on Sunday to face the Pacers.






Scouting the 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a loss at the hands of the Celtics last night in Boston, but they have been playing well on the home floor of the Wells Fargo Center, winning three straight games recently, and they're hoping to aim for their fourth-straight home win as they welcome in the Charlotte Hornets to town tonight.  Michael Carter-Williams is somewhat probable for Philadelphia, after missing last night's game with a right toe injury, as the 76ers are hoping for a major bounce back in tonight's game.

Next 2 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Sunday: Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte(6:00 p.m.)
Tuesday: Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
All-Star Break(February 13th-20th)

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets 94, Wizards 87





87



94

After a rough first half, which led to head coach Steve Clifford calling out his team, the Charlotte Hornets would come out firing and unleashing their frustrations from that first half, and turning it into paydirt, coming away with a 94-87 win over the Washington Wizards last night at Time Warner Cable Arena.  The Hornets are now 22-27 on the season and holding on to the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Wizards dropped to 31-20.

The star of the night for Charlotte was Gerald Henderson, who would spark the Hornets run, which was a 14-4 run to end the game. "We weren't in our spots, we weren't helping each other, and we didn't have any energy." said Henderson, who finished with 27 points to lead the way for the Hornets in the win. "In the second half, we came out with more than that."

Last night's win marked the fifth straight time Charlotte has defeated Washington, and they also got a little bit of help from Jason Maxiell, who came out of nowhere with 7 blocked shots to go with 11 points off the bench for the Hornets. Also with 11 points each on the night for Charlotte were Lance Stephenson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, while Brian Roberts continued to do well stepping in the place of Kemba Walker had 12 points for Charlotte in the win.  The Hornets finished with a 43.4% field goal percentage on the night, while dominating the rebounding battle by a plus-13 margin(50-37).

Washington had a rough go of it, as head coach Randy Wittman wasn't pleased with his team's effort in the second half. "For whatever reason, we take it upon ourselves to say, 'This is a time for me.'" Wittman quoted.  Paul Pierce led the way for the Wizards with 19 points, while John Wall would add in 15.  The Hornets next game will come on Saturday night in Philadelphia, as they take on the 76ers at 7:30 p.m. inside the Wells Fargo Center, while their next home game will come on Sunday as they take on the Indiana Pacers for a 6:00 p.m. tip-off at "The Hive".

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Hornets Extra: Wizards vs. Hornets

Washington Wizards(31-19; 5-5 in Southeast Division play) vs. Charlotte Hornets(21-27; 5-4 in Southeast Division play)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Thursday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)


Last meeting: Charlotte 92, Washington 88(Monday at Washington)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): CHA leads series 52-43 all-time


Coming off the heels of a 92-88 win on Monday, the Charlotte Hornets will once again face the Washington Wizards, this time on the home floor of Time Warner Cable Arena on Thursday night.  Charlotte comes in sitting in 7th place in the Eastern Conference by themselves, while the Wizards come in losers of 4 straight, with their most recent setback coming last night in Atlanta.






Scouting the Wizards

The Wizards suffered their 4th straight loss last night in Atlanta, as they dropped a 105-96 decision at the hands of the league and Eastern Conference leading Atlanta Hawks.  Prior to that, the Wizards fell in a tight decision on their home floor of the Verizon Center on Monday against the Hornets, losing 92-88.  Washington hopes that John Wall and Bradley Beal can help the Wizards end their 4-game slide tonight as they continue their road trip in Charlotte against the Hornets.






Scouting the Hornets

Things are starting to come together over the last few games for the Charlotte Hornets, as they find themselves in seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and they've been starting to pick up the tempo, as they are missing Kemba Walker, who is out for the next 6 weeks.  Tonight, the Hornets are back at it, as they welcome in the Washington Wizards to "The Hive", looking for another solid performance, as well as another win.

Next 3 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Saturday: Charlotte @ Philadelphia 76ers(7:30 p.m.)
Sunday: Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte(6:00 p.m.)
Tuesday: Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
All-Star Break: February 13th-15th

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Hornets Extra: Heat vs. Hornets

Miami Heat(18-23; 3-6 in Southeast Division play) vs. Charlotte Hornets(17-25; 3-4 in Southeast Division play)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)


Last 2 meetings: Miami 94, Charlotte 93(November 23rd at Miami); Charlotte 96, Miami 89(November 5th at Charlotte)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): MIA leads series 54-35 all-time

Tonight at "The Hive", the Charlotte Hornets look to continue their impressive string of playing solid basketball over the last 2 weeks as they welcome in the Miami Heat to town. The last time the Hornets were in action came on Monday afternoon, resulting in a 105-80 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, while Miami is coming off a loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder last night in Miami.









Scouting the Heat

The 2014-15 season for the Miami Heat is somewhat a story of their ups and downs, as they adjust to life without LeBron James.  But they still have Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh leading the way for the Heat, who are coming off a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night at AmericanAirlines Arena, dropping them to 18-23 on the year.  Tonight in Charlotte, the Heat looks to bounce back from that loss as they take on a Charlotte Hornets team that has been playing some good basketball lately over the last few games.







Scouting the Hornets

The talk around the NBA over these few days has to be the impressive play that the Charlotte Hornets have been doing lately, they have won 7 of their last 8 games, with one coming back on Monday afternoon, as Charlotte defeated Minnesota 105-80 at "The Hive".  Interestingly enough, the Hornets are just a 1/2 game back of a playoff spot behind Brooklyn, and with the possibility of Kemba Walker returning to the lineup tonight, the Hornets are hoping that their great play can lead them to a win over Miami tonight, as Charlotte will finish up its season-long 4-game homestand.






"Classic Night" to take place tonight

Tonight's game has been designated as a "Classic Night", as the Charlotte Hornets will have several special in-game elements to honor the days of the original Charlotte Hornets(1988-2002), and fans are encouraged to wear their classic Hornets gear to the game as part of the "Classic Night" festivities during "Wednesday Night Basketball" as well.

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Friday: Charlotte @ Cleveland Cavaliers(7:30 p.m.)
Saturday: New York Knicks vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Next Wednesday: Charlotte @ San Antonio Spurs(8:30 p.m.)
Next Saturday: Charlotte @ Denver Nuggets(9:00 p.m.)

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Hornets Extra: Spurs vs. Hornets

San Antonio Spurs(23-16) vs. Charlotte Hornets(15-24)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)


Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): SA leads series 34-14 all-time

The Charlotte Hornets will begin their season long 4-game homestand at "The Hive" tonight as they welcome in the reigning NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.  The Hornets have been on a roll recently, winning 5 straight games, and the lights-out play of Kemba Walker, who was recently named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week.  San Antonio is coming off a loss last night at the hands of John Wall and the Washington Wizards on the road.





Scouting the Spurs

The defending champions are in the midst of a road trip, which included a stop in Washington last night, where they lost to the Wizards.  Of course, when you play the Spurs, you have of course, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, not to mention head coach Gregg Popovich.  San Antonio is one of the top tier teams in the NBA, and they will look to get back in the win column this evening in Charlotte, as they square off against the Hornets.







Scouting the Hornets

Charlotte will begin its season long 4-game homestand at Time Warner Cable Arena this evening with a visit from the defending NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.  Charlotte comes in winners of 5-straight games, with a bulk of their success coming by way of Kemba Walker, who was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week recently.  Word is that Lance Stephenson is expected to return to the lineup for Charlotte tonight after missing the last few weeks with a groin strain injury.  It won't be no easy walk in the park for the Hornets, as they look to make it 6 straight wins tonight, when they battle the Spurs inside "The Hive".

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Saturday: Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Monday: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Charlotte(2:00 p.m.)
Next Wednesday: Miami Heat vs. Charlotte*(7:00 p.m.)
Next Friday: Charlotte @ Cleveland Cavaliers(7:30 p.m.)
*-Southeast Division game

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets 110, Knicks 82







110





82

Last Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the Charlotte Hornets would notch their 5th straight win, with a 110-82 demolishing of the New York Knicks to improve their record on the year to 15-21 overall.

The number one reason why they won in impressive fashion: playing good basketball, and of course, Kemba Walker continuing his impressive roll that earned him Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors recently, as he would finish the game on Saturday with 28 points to lead the way for the Hornets in the win, Charlotte also saw several more players get into the act in the win, including Bismack Biyombo, who played exceptionally well for the Hornets with a double-double(14 points and 12 rebounds), while Brian Roberts had a solid day for Charlotte off the bench with 14 as well.  P.J. Hairston saw some action, going 6-of-12 from the field in his 22 minutes of action to end up with 15 and rounding out the group of double-figure scorers for the Hornets was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 10.

And for the Knicks, who have already raised the "White Flag", they were led by Quincy Acy and his 18 point outing.  Tomorrow night, the Hornets will look for their sixth straight win of the season, as they welcome in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs to Time Warner Cable Arena for a 7:00 start, as Charlotte will open up a stretch of playing 5 of their next 6 games at "The Hive".

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets @ Knicks

Charlotte Hornets(14-24) vs. New York Knicks(5-34)

Madison Square Garden, New York

Saturday, 1:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Last 2 meetings: Charlotte 103, New York 102(December 5th at Charlotte); New York 96, Charlotte 93(November 2nd at New York)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): NYK leads series 53-39 all-time

Today is another busy sports day here in Charlotte, as the Charlotte Hornets will make the trek to "The Big Apple" for a afternoon game against the slumping New York Knicks, before the Carolina Panthers square against the Seattle Seahawks later tonight in the NFC Divisional Playoff.  The Hornets enter today's game on a 4-game winning streak, and the strong play of Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker recently, while the Knicks are on a downward spiral, losing 14 straight games.  Both teams split the first 2 meetings of the 4-game set, with the Knicks prevailing on November 2nd at The Garden, while the Hornets won in thrilling fashion back on December 5th at "The Hive" on Walker's game-winning layup.







Scouting the Hornets

If there's one person that is responsible for what the Hornets have done recently, it would have to be Kemba Walker, who recently had a string of three-straight 30-plus point games, which came to an end on Wednesday night in Toronto, finishing with 29 points in Charlotte's win over the Raptors, which saw Gerald Henderson lead the way with 31 points to give the Hornets their 4th straight win.  Charlotte hopes to give their fans something to cheer about today as they look for their 5th straight win by making the trek to New York to face the slumping Knicks this afternoon, and who knows, they could rub some of that luck on the Carolina Panthers later tonight in Seattle, as they take on the Seahawks.





Scouting the Knicks

It has been a downward spiral for the New York Knicks, who are already missing it's star, Carmelo Anthony and have recently traded J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  On top of all that, they have lost 14 straight games, and fans have somewhat started to give up on the 2014-15 season for the Knicks and have began looking ahead to the 2015-16 season.  New York hopes to avoid their 15th straight loss today, by welcoming in the red-hot Charlotte Hornets to Madison Square Garden.

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Wednesday: San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Next Saturday: Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
January 19th: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Charlotte(2:00 p.m.)
January 21st: Miami Heat vs. Charlotte*(7:00 p.m.)
*-Southeast Division game

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets 103, Raptors 95







103



95

With Al Jefferson, Lance Stephenson, and Cody Zeller not in last night's lineup, the Charlotte Hornets wanted to call on some reinforcements to stay the course after Wednesday night's win at home over the New Orleans Pelicans, and one of those major reinforcements was Gerald Henderson, who helped carry the load for the Hornets en route to its fourth straight win by defeating the Toronto Raptors 103-95 at the Air Canada Center.  The Hornets are now 14-24 on the season, while Toronto dropped it's 4th straight and find themselves at 24-11 on the year.

Another key player that played a part in Charlotte's win last night was Kemba Walker, and that would deserve some praise from head coach Steve Clifford. "We're asking a lot of him. He's young, competitive, and likes to play big minutes." said Clifford of Walker, who was just one point shy of joining former Hornet Glen Rice as the only players in the history of Charlotte NBA Basketball(dating back to 1988-89) to have four-straight 30 point games(Rice accomplished the feat in the 1996-97 season).  "I'm just taking the opportunities that the defense gives me." said Walker, who finished with 29 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field. "When I see my opportunity, I'm just making the play."

Henderson led the way with 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field for Charlotte, while Marvin Williams, who started in place of Cody Zeller, had a good outing with 13 points and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 10 points to go with 12 rebounds for another double-double in the win for the Hornets.

And for the Raptors, it was Kyle Lowry that led the way with 24 in the loss for the Raptors. Charlotte will be in action tomorrow afternoon, as they look for their 5th straight win by taking on the New York Knicks for a 1:00 p.m. start at Madison Square Garden, before they come back home to "The Hive" on Wednesday night to face the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs at 7:00.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets @ Raptors

Charlotte Hornets(13-24) vs. Toronto Raptors(24-10)

Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Series history(since 1995-96 season): CHA leads series 37-25 all-time

Tonight in Toronto, it will be a match-up of one team being on a winning streak, while the other is on a losing streak, as the Charlotte Hornets visit Toronto to face the Raptors for the first of four meetings this season.  Charlotte won in dramatic fashion last night at "The Hive", courtesy of Kemba Walker's go ahead three-point play to give the Hornets a 98-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, while Toronto has lost three straight games, and are missing DeMar DeRozan in the process.  Charlotte has won the last 4 meetings over the Raptors recently, and are looking for their 5th straight win over Toronto in the process.







Scouting the Hornets

Despite being shorthanded, the Charlotte Hornets would rally from behind last night on another clutch shot from Kemba Walker.  This time around, it was a three-point play that would give the Hornets a thrilling 98-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at Time Warner Cable Arena for their third straight win.  Tonight will be another tough challenge for the Hornets, as they square off against the Toronto Raptors "North of the Border" at the Air Canada Center, as Charlotte will begin a brief 2-game road trip.







Scouting the Raptors

The Raptors recent string on the road wasn't one they didn't expect, as they finished the trip with a dismal 2-4 mark, and they will be without the services of DeMar DeRozan, meaning that it will be up to Kyle Lowry and the rest of the Raptors to end their 3-game losing skid tonight at home, when they welcome in the Charlotte Hornets, who have won the last 3 games overall.

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Saturday: Charlotte @ New York Knicks(1:00 p.m.)
Wednesday: San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Next Saturday: Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
January 19th: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Charlotte(2:00 p.m.)

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Hornets Extra: Hornets 98, Pelicans 94







94




98

When the game is on the line, who do you trust to take the final shot? Here in Charlotte, you look to Kemba Walker to deliver, and he did exactly that as his go-ahead three-point play gave the Charlotte Hornets a 98-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans last night at Time Warner Cable Arena, lifting the Hornets to their third straight win.  The win also improves the Hornets record on the year to 13-24, while the Pelicans fall to 17-18.

On the night, Walker reached 30 points again for the third straight game, winding up with 31 to lead the way for the Hornets in the win, while he was joined by Gerald Henderson, who continued his solid performances recently for Charlotte, scoring 16 points, with Michael Kidd-Glichrist notching a double-double, adding in 12 rebounds to go with his 13 points and Brian Roberts rounded out the group of double figure scorers for the Hornets with 10 off the bench.

And over on the Pelicans side, Anthony Davis led all game scorers with 32 points to go along with 12 in the loss for New Orleans.  Next up for the Hornets, they're in Toronto tonight to take on Kyle Lowry and the Raptors inside the Air Canada Centre at 7:30 p.m., before they square off against the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon for a 1:00 p.m. start inside Madison Square Garden.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Hornets Extra: Pelicans vs. Hornets

New Orleans Pelicans(17-17) vs. Charlotte Hornets(12-24)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Last meeting: New Orleans 100, Charlotte 91(November 4th at New Orleans)

Series history(modern era since 2004-05 season): NOP leads series 15-6 all-time

After posting quality wins over Orlando and Boston, the Charlotte Hornets return to action this evening at Time Warner Cable Arena as they welcome in the 17-17 New Orleans Pelicans to town.  The last time the two teams got together came back on November 4th in New Orleans, where the Pelicans held on for a 100-91 win over Charlotte on their home floor of the Smoothie King Center behind Anthony Davis's 24 point/13 rebound performance.  The Hornets look to get even and look for a split of the season series in the second and final meeting of the teams tonight in Charlotte.







Scouting the Pelicans

It has been somewhat of a up and down rollercoaster ride for the New Orleans Pelicans so far this season, as they enter this evening's match-up at Charlotte with a 17-17 mark.  Everyone knows that when you face the Pelicans, then you know you have to deal with Anthony Davis, a possible MVP candidate in the making for a New Orleans squad, and you have to also look out for Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, and the rest of a Pelicans team that is hoping to generate a lot of noise in the Western Conference, as they look for a possible season sweep of Charlotte tonight on the road.







Scouting the Hornets

After losing 5 straight games, the Charlotte Hornets have bounced back with 2 straight wins recently, with a win on Saturday in Orlando, and winning at Boston back on Monday night.  The key component to the Hornets success so far has to be the play of Kemba Walker, who has posted 30+ points in his last 2 games, and he and the rest of the Hornets hope to carry the momentum from these past 2 wins into tonight's home game against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans at "The Hive", before Charlotte travels up North to Toronto tomorrow night to face the Raptors.

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Thursday: Charlotte @ Toronto Raptors(7:30 p.m.)
Saturday: Charlotte @ New York Knicks(1:00 p.m.)
Next Wednesday: San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
January 17th: Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets 104, Celtics 95







104




95

Earlier tonight in Boston, the Charlotte Hornets made it 2 straight wins thanks to yet another great outing from Kemba Walker, as his 33 points were just enough for Charlotte to defeat the Celtics 104-95, to improve their mark to 12-24 on the year.

The Hornets would somewhat lead for almost the entire duration of the game tonight, with a lead of 22 at one point during the night, before Boston almost made a strong run at it in the 4th, but Charlotte would manage to protect the lead and to get out of TD Garden with the win.  On the night, Charlotte would finish with a 48.7% field goal percentage for the game, while winning the rebounding battle by a plus-15 margin(48-33).  Joining Walker on the Hornets list of double-figure scorers were Cody Zeller, who got the best of the battle between him and his brother Tyler on the night, scoring 20, while Gerald Henderson had a good showing for head coach Steve Clifford's squad, going 4-of-9 from the field on the night to end up with 13 points, and Marvin Williams rounded out the group of double-figure scorers for Charlotte with 10 in the win for the Hornets.

Over on the Celtics side of the final box score, Boston(11-21) was led in scoring by Jared Sullinger, who had 22 on the night to lead the way for the Celtics in the loss, while Jae Crowder and James Young each had 13.  The Hornets hope to notch their third straight win on Wednesday night, when they welcome in Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, and the New Orleans Pelicans to Time Warner Cable Arena.

Hornets Extra: Hornets @ Celtics

Charlotte Hornets(11-24) vs. Boston Celtics(11-20)

TD Garden, Boston

Monday, 7:30 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)


Last meeting: Charlotte 96, Boston 87(December 10th at Charlotte)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): BOS leads series 50-39 all-time

Tonight in Boston, the Charlotte Hornets will square off against the Boston Celtics in this Eastern Conference match-up.  Last time out, the Hornets prevailed over the Magic by a 98-90 decision on Saturday night in Orlando to end their long losing skid, while the Celtics are coming off a 109-104 loss at the hands of the Bulls on Saturday in Chicago.  This will be the second of 4 meetings between the two this season, with Charlotte taking the first match-up on December 10th at "The Hive" by a 96-87 decision.






Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets snapped their 5-game losing streak with a much-needed road win back on Saturday night in Orlando, defeating the Magic by a final score of 98-90 behind Kemba Walker's 30 point outing to lead the way for Charlotte. Again, the Hornets will be without the services of Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson, as they look to build some momentum tonight in Boston, as they meet the Celtics, a team that Charlotte defeated back on December 10th at Time Warner Cable Arena by a 96-87 margin, to wrap up their brief 2-game road trip.






Scouting the Celtics

Boston comes in losers of 2 straight games recently, losing to the Dallas Mavericks on January 2nd in Rajon Rondo's first game in Boston since the trade earlier in the season, and this past Saturday on the road in Chicago.  The Celtics hope to get back on the right track tonight at home, as they welcome in the Charlotte Hornets to TD Garden.

Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Wednesday: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Thursday: Charlotte @ Toronto Raptors(7:30 p.m.)
Saturday: Charlotte @ New York Knicks(1:00 p.m.)
January 14th: San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)

NOTES: All SportSouth telecasts begin with "Hornets Live" 30 minutes before tip-off; All Hornets games can be heard locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.


Sunday, January 4, 2015

Hornets Extra: Hornets 98, Magic 90







98



90

If the Charlotte Hornets wanted a wake-up call after their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at "The Hive", then last night's game at the Amway Center was indeed a wake-up call for Charlotte, who protected a big lead for most of the night to walk out of Orlando with a 98-90 win over the Magic.  The win improves the Hornets to 11-24 on the season, while Orlando dropped to 13-24.

The Hornets had everything going for them in the win on Saturday, according to Kemba Walker. "Our communication on defense was great and we just made some great plays." Walker said. "Guys were in the right spots and this is how it has to be night in and night out."

Walker would lead the way for Charlotte with 30 points on the night last night, as the Hornets had everything going right for them on the night. "The stretch where we played well, we got a lot of effort points, fast breaks, and guys keeping the ball alive for second chances. That gave us a cushion to play with on the road." quoted Hornets head coach Steve Clifford.

Charlotte also saw three other players reach double-digits, among them were Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who added 17 points, while Gary Neal stepped things up off the bench for the Hornets and ending the night with 16 and Cody Zeller would end up with 12, as the Hornets would end up shooting 44.9% from the field in the win and out-rebounding the Magic by a plus-9 margin(53-44).

For the Magic, who lost their third game in the row, Victor Oladipo led the way with 21 points.  Next up on the agenda for the Charlotte Hornets, a trip to Boston to take on the Celtics tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. inside TD Garden, before returning to Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday night to face Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, and the New Orleans Pelicans for a 7:00 p.m. start.