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.

Hornets Extra: Hornets 109, 76ers 91

109

91

The Charlotte Hornets wanted to switch things up a notch in last night's match-up against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the adjustments the team made would pay off well, as they built a 20 point lead(24 at one point) for most of the game before finishing the deal with a 18-point victory over the 76ers by a 109-91 margin at the Wells Fargo Center to snap their 4-game losing skid.

The Hornets knew they needed this win badly, as Brett Brown, Philadelphia's head coach mentioned it in his post-game comments. "They(Charlotte) sniffed blood, they knew they wanted to come in here and get a win." 

One key part to this win last night was of course, Kemba Walker dropping 30 points, a new season high in points for a Hornets player this season. "When he's going, he leads us and we follow him." said center Al Jefferson, who finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. "We just needed to win, period." said Walker. "I'm glad we came in here and we executed. Hopefully we can carry that momentum into the future."

Two other players got into double-figures for the Hornets in last night's win, including Gerald Henderson, who got the start in the place of Lance Stephenson, finishing up with 11 points and Gary Neal would end up with 10 points off the bench for the victorious Hornets.

And in the losing effort for the 76ers, who are 0-14 at home this season, Robert Covington and Tony Wroten each had 19 points to co-lead Philadelphia.  The Hornets are back in action again tonight, as they take on the Utah Jazz at Time Warner Cable Arena for a 7:00 p.m. start.

Hornets Extra: Hornets @ 76ers

Charlotte Hornets(6-19) vs. Philadelphia 76ers(2-22)

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia 

Friday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): CHA leads series 51-39

Two of what may be the worst teams in the NBA this season so far will be in action tonight in Philadelphia, as the Charlotte Hornets pay a visit to take on the 76ers.  Charlotte is in a midst of a 4-game losing streak, as they try to establish a identity that has been some what of a crisis for the 6-19 Hornets this season, while the 76ers on the other hand, are indeed struggling big time, with that long losing streak to begin the season before breaking through in Minnesota.

Scouting the Hornets

The first few months of the 2014-15 season for the Charlotte Hornets have been somewhat not successful, as the team hasn't been playing together as a team, and of course, losing big leads and failing to finish up games which they were suppose to win, and many fans are calling for Steve Clifford to be fired as he is more likely on the "Hot Seat", while rumors are also circulating about the future of Lance Stephenson, who Charlotte signed this past off-season.  Charlotte is trying to avoid even bigger humiliation tonight as they look to end their 4-game slide in Philadelphia against one of the worst teams in all of the NBA this season, the 76ers, before they come back home tomorrow night to take on the Utah Jazz.

Scouting the 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are once again in the process of building for the future, and their long losing streak to start the season was the story of the 2014-15 edition of the Sixers so far this season.  Philadelphia only has 2 wins on the year so far, but with the talent on the floor so far, the Sixers have already begun looking ahead to the 2015-16 season.  The 76ers hope that they can give the fans something to cheer tonight as the Sixers welcome in the Charlotte Hornets to the Wells Fargo Center.

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

Saturday: Utah Jazz vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)

Monday: Denver Nuggets vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)

Tuesday: Charlotte @ Milwaukee(8:00 p.m.)

Next Friday: Charlotte @ Oklahoma City(8:00 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.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Philadelphia 76ers

As we near the end of the "30 Teams in 30 Days" NBA team preview series, we make a stop in Philadelphia to check in with a young 76ers team that is ready and determined to make it work in the 2014-15 season.

Last season's record: 19-63(Last in Atlantic Division and 14th in Eastern Conference

Head Coach: Brett Brown(2nd season, 19-63 overall)

Arena: Wells Fargo Center(20,328)

Website: Sixers.com

The summary of the 2013-14 edition of the Philadelphia 76ers can be summed up in some interesting words: dismal and disappointing.  The downfall of it was a long 26-game losing streak, in which many thought would be the end of the Brett Brown era, and of course, a lack of an identity for the team, which ultimately led to them finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division, and a guaranteed lock in the NBA Draft Lottery.  Philly wound up with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft, and they would use it to get Joel Embid, and they also added in several more players in the draft, including K.J. McDaniels.

After the disappointing 2013-14 season the Sixers had, the team brought in Sam Hinkie as General Manager back in May as part of the team's rebuilding phase.  This season's edition of the 76ers is ready to make it work, with Michael Carter-Williams, or as the fans in Philly would like to call him "MCW", leading the way with a fresh outlook the team has in mind for the 2014-15 campaign, and things are indeed hoping to be much better for the team this season in Philadelphia.

Upcoming team previews in the "30 Teams in 30 Days" series:

• Monday: Washington Wizards
• Tuesday: Charlotte Hornets

Hornets Extra - Preseason Edition Recap: 76ers 106, Hornets 92

92

106



Last night was somewhat a tale of two halves for the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason match-up at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the first half was somewhat a good half all-around for the Hornets, but when the second half came, the 76ers jumped out to a good lead that they put together at the half and they never looked back, as Philadelphia(1-1) held on to defeat Charlotte(0-1) 106-92.

The loss did provide some bright spots from Charlotte, as Lance Stephenson made his much-anticipated debut in a Hornets uniform, as he finished the night with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field in the loss along with Kemba Walker, who had 13 points as well on 5-of-12 shooting, but the leading scorer on the night for the Hornets was Gary Neal, who came off the bench to lead the team with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.  As a team, the Hornets, in their first preseason game in 12 years, finished the night with a 36.8% average from the field, despite being out-rebounded by the 76ers 53-50.

Over on the Philadelphia side of last night's scoresheet, newcomer Tony Wroten would lead the 76ers in scoring with 15 points(6-of-10 shooting), while another newcomer, Casper Ware, came off the bench to add in 14 points, as Philadelphia finished the game with a 42.2% field goal percentage on the night to get their first preseason win on their schedule.

Tomorrow night, the Hornets will take on John Wall, Bradley Beal, and the up and coming Washington Wizards in Greenville, South Carolina at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena at 7:00 p.m., before taking the weekend off to prepare for Monday's game against the Orlando Magic at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Hornets Extra - Preseason Edition: Hornets at 76ers

Preseason Game #1: Charlotte Hornets(0-0) at Philadelphia 76ers(0-1)

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

The Charlotte Hornets will unofficially make their return to the NBA for the first time in 12 years tomorrow night in Philadelphia, as they take on a young 76ers team that is looking to make a lot of noise in the Eastern Conference, while the Hornets come into tomorrow's preseason opener hoping to pick up where they left off last season, when the then-Charlotte Bobcats won 43 games and earning their second-ever trip to the NBA Playoffs, before being swept in 4 straight games in the first round by the Miami Heat.

Scouting the Hornets

For the first time in 12 years, the Charlotte Hornets will take the floor in their preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers.  The franchise formerly known as the Charlotte Bobcats officially reclaimed the Hornets name back on May 20th, and not only that, the team also reacquired all the statistical history, records, and information of NBA basketball in Charlotte, meaning that the Hornets will own and have access to all the records from not only the Bobcats era(2004-2014), but all the records from the original Hornets run in Charlotte(1988-2002).  Charlotte will be without Gerald Henderson, who underwent an MRI today and will be out for 1-2 weeks.  Expect for Noah Vonleh and P.J. Hairston to get some minutes in their preseason debut in a Hornets uniform, while Al Jefferson is determined to have another breakout year for Charlotte in their preseason debut tomorrow in Philadelphia.

Scouting the 76ers

Philadelphia already made their preseason debut, falling to Boston by a 98-78 margin on Monday, and they look to bounce back in their preseason opener against the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.  Last season, the Sixers finished with a dismal 19-63 record, which saw them lose 26 straight games.  But it's a new season for Philadelphia, with the addition of Joel Embid, and a talented young group of players, many hope that this is a turnaround year for the 76ers, and it will all start on Wednesday at home against Charlotte in their preseason home opener.

Upcoming Hornets preseason game schedule(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)

Friday: Washington Wizards vs. Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.^
Monday: Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday: Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte - 11:00 a.m.%
October 17th: Charlotte @ Washington Wizards - 7:00 p.m.

^-Denotes game played at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina
%-Denotes Cool School Field Trip game for middle school students

NOTE: All Hornets preseason games(with the exception of the 10/15 game) can be heard on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.

Special Comment: It was about time those sorry Philadelphia 76ers won a game

And now at the request of Jake "The Boss" Cook, another "Special Comment" about why it was about time the Philadelphia 76ers won a game, and why are they destined to get the top pick in the NBA Draft later this summer.

Last night in Philadelphia, the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season, the Philadelphia 76ers, finally won a game that should have cared less about, a 123-98 blowout win over the Detroit Pistons, and that win snapped a long, disastrous, yet humiliating 26-game losing streak. A 26-game losing streak? TO ME, THAT IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF B.S. I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE AS A NBA FAN!  YOU ARROGANT BUMS WASTED THE LAST 2 AND 1/2 MONTHS NOT GIVING A HOOT ABOUT WINNING, YOU ONLY CARED ABOUT LOSING OUT TO GET THAT COVETED TOP PICK IN THE NBA DRAFT LATER THIS SUMMER, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! UN THE LAST THREE YEARS I HAVE DONE THESE SERIES OF "SPECIAL COMMENTS", WHICH WAS MODELED AFTER WHAT MY IDOL, KEITH OLBERMANN DID DURING HIS DAYS AT MSNBC AND THE NOW-DEFUNCT CURRENT TV, EACH ONE OF THEM HAS CENTERED AROUND ONE THING: GETTING PEOPLE TO FACE THE TRUTH, AND AS FOR YOU, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, THE TRUTH I'M ADDRESSING TO YOU TODAY IS GOING TO HURT! IT'S TRUE, IT'S TRUE!

I checked the standings in the Eastern Conference not too long ago, and you guys are 16-57. 16-57? NO WONDER YOU GUYS ARE ONE OF THE TWO DISAPPOINTING TEAMS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THE NBA, ALONG WITH THE ORLANDO MAGIC, MILWAUKEE BUCKS, HECK, YOU CAN ALSO THROW IN THE UTAH JAZZ AND LOS ANGELES LAKERS INTO THE LIST OF TEAMS THAT ARE VYING FOR THE DRAFT IN THE FIRST PLACE!

WHO IS RUNNING THIS MESS UP IN PHILADELPHIA? HECK, YOU GUYS MAY HAVE GONE ALL RUBEN AMARO, JR. AND HIRED A COACH WHO INSPIRED YOU TO LOSE A LOT OVER THE LAST 2 1/2 MONTHS YOU HAVEN'T WON A GAME UNTIL LAST NIGHT? WELL, BRETT BROWN, YOU MIGHT HAVE A CASE OF "MIKE DUNLAP SYNDROME" BECAUSE YOU SIR, MR. BROWN, HAVE NO BUSINESS OF BEING A FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH WHO'S PLAYING TO GET AXED OUT OF A CITY THAT LOVES THEIR SPORTS, AND YOUR FOOTBALL TEAM GOT RID OF DESEAN JACKSON, HECK YOUR PHILLIES MIGHT STINK UP THE JOINT AND FAIL AGAIN, BUT YOUR BASKETBALL TEAM MAN, YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BIG, MISERABLE, IGNORANT BUNCH OF LOSERS WHO DION'T EVEN CARE ABOUT WINNING A GAME AND ARE NOW "TANKING FOR WIGGINS" GIVE. ME. A . FREAKING. BREAK!

LOOK AT WHAT YOU DONE, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, YOU HAVE NOW BECOME THE WORST TEAM I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THE NBA THIS SEASON, AND I GUARANTEE A SO-CALLED "FIRE SALE" WILL BE COMING SOONER OR LATER ONCE YOUR SEAON OF FAILURE WRAPS UP, AND IF I WAS A 76ERS FAN, THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS FIRING YOUR COACH THAT HAS GOTTEN YOU INTO THIS BIG DEPACLE IN THE FIRST PLACE SINCE YOUR ORGANIZATION HASN'T RECAPUTRED THE GLORY YEARS SINCE THE DAYS OF ALLEN IVERSON AND ANDRE IGUODALA!

To wrap up this latest "Special Comment", I am so glad you finally won a game snapping the 26-game losing streak, and I'm not happy about what your organization, the Philadelphia 76ers have done this season, so what I insist YOU do is this: CAR. ABOUT. WINNING. GAMES. OR. ELSE! GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK!