83
102
The Charlotte Hornets didn't want to end 2014 on a low note, and that's what happened on Wednesday night in Houston, as they fell to the Houston Rockets 102-83.
Leading the way for the Houston Rockets in the win on Wednesday was James Harden, who led all scorers with 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field, while Patrick Beverley had a strong game on the night for the Rockets, who improved to 22-9 on the year, adding in 14 points. Donatas Motiejunas played well off the bench for Kevin McHale's squad, finishing up with 12, Dwight Howard would end up with 11 points, and rounding out the group of double-figure scorers for the Rockets was Trevor Ariza with 10 points.
And for Charlotte in the loss, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Gerald Henderson each had 16 to co-lead the Hornets. Charlotte hopes to begin 2015 on a high note as they return home to Time Warner Cable Arena tonight to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, minus LeBron James for a 7:00 p.m. start.
Charlotte Hornets(10-22) vs. Houston Rockets(21-9)
Toyota Center, Houston
Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
Television: SportSouth
Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)
Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): HOU leads series 36-13 all-time
Tonight begins a tough stretch of games for the Charlotte Hornets, as they wrap up 2014 in Houston against the Rockets in a New Year's Eve match-up. Things turned for the worse yesterday for the Hornets, as center Al Jefferson will be out for the next 4 weeks due to a groin strain, and that could possibly signal the unofficial end of what was a promising season as we know it for the Hornets. Houston on the other hand has a pretty good record at home with a 10-6 mark, and a 21-9 record overall coming into tonight's game despite losing 2 straight games.
Scouting the Hornets
Last night, the Hornets would receive the devastating news that they didn't want to hear, as Al Jefferson will miss the next 4 weeks due to a groin strain. The team announced today that they have recalled Noah Vonleh from it's NBA D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and he could join the team tonight in Houston for the game against the Rockets. Charlotte has lost it's last three games, and are in desperate need of a win to wrap up 2014 on a high note, as they look to get it tonight in Houston against an always tough Rockets squad led by Dwight Howard and James Harden.
Scouting the Rockets
The Houston Rockets find themselves holding the 4th-best record in the Western Conference with a 21-9 record overall, and they've been extremely well at home this season with a 10-6 record overall. Recently, they have lost two straight games, but that didn't slow down the play of two of their star players in Dwight Howard and James Harden, with Harden leading the team with a 27.4 points per game average, while Howard leads the team with 11.8 rebounds per game. Can the two help end the Rockets short losing skid? That question will be answered tonight in this New Year's Eve game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Toyota Center.
Next 4 games for the Hornets(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)
Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Saturday: Charlotte @ Orlando Magic(7:00 p.m.)
Monday: Charlotte @ Boston Celtics(7:30 p.m.)
Next Wednesday: New Orleans Pelicans 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.
Our "30 Teams in 30 Days" series is off to Texas this weekend, where we will preview three teams in the state over the next three days. We begin this installment by starting things off in Houston, where the Houston Rockets are out to prove to the rest of the league that they can compete in a tough Western Conference and Southwest Division.
Last season's record: 54-28(4th in Western Conference; 2nd in Southwest Division; Lost to POR in 1st Round 4-2)
Head Coach: Kevin McHale(4th season with HOU, 172-152 overall; 133-97 with HOU)
Arena: Toyota Center(18,023)
Website: Rockets.com
Last season, the Rockets knew that they wanted to either "Go Big or Go Home", and General Manager Daryl Morey decided to go big, way big, and landing Dwight Howard to join James Harden and a talented Rockets squad that has been building well year after year since Kevin McHale was hired as Rockets head coach back in June of 2011, and last year was no exception. Houston finished a solid 4th in the Western Conference, and second in the Southwest Division, setting up a showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers in Round 1, a series that saw Damian Lillard's dramatic buzzer beater in Game 6, that broke the hearts of Rockets fans, as Portland won the series 4-2.
Now, with a new season on the horizon for the Rockets, Houston must find a way to have most of their team stay together, now that Chandler Parsons has joined the Dallas Mavericks, but the main focus is on of course, Dwight Howard, who wants to settle some "Unfinished Business" in his second season in a Rockets uniform, as he and the rest of the players on the roster hope that their quest to settle some "Unfinished Business" pays off this season in Houston.
Upcoming team previews in the "30 Teams in 30 Days" series:
- Saturday: San Antonio Spurs
- Sunday: Dallas Mavericks
- Monday: Oklahoma City Thunder
- Tuesday: Denver Nuggets
