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".
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.
We are hitting up the "Nation's Capital" on Day 29 of our "30 Teams in 30 Days" series of previewing all 30 NBA teams leading up to the start of the 2014-15 NBA season tomorrow, and we'll be taking a look at a team that many thought wasn't good enough last season, the Washington Wizards, who is looking to build upon last year's playoff appearance with another good year this upcoming season in Washington.
Last season's record: 44-38(2nd in Southeast Division and 5th in Eastern Conference; Def. CHI 4-1 in Eastern Conference First Round; Lost to IND 4-2 in Eastern Conference Semi-finals)
Head Coach: Randy Wittman(9th season, 191-329 overall; 4th season with Washington)
Arena: Verizon Center(20,308)
Website: WashingtonWizards.com
The Washington Wizards were coming off a tough 2012-13 season, which saw them finish the year with a 29-53 mark, and many of the fans in D.C. were wondering what the Wizards were going to do entering the 2013-14 season with a new outlook and agenda for a franchise that was looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
If you thought Washington was going to struggle during the season, then, you didn't pay attention to the surprising season the team was about to embark on, with the play of Bradley Beal and John Wall, Washington came out of nowhere to finish the year with a astonishing 44-38 record, and that elusive trip to the Playoffs for the first time since 2008, where they knocked out the Chicago Bulls in 5 games, before bowing out in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals to the Indiana Pacers 4-2.
Now, can the Wizards build upon last year's surprise run and turn it into another strong season this year? It depends on how well they play each night, and to have Wall and Beal continue to have good ball control and good scoring capability, while the rest of the Wizards have to step up their game and to play 110% night in and night out. Washington is indeed a team on the rise, and they want to pick up where they left off with a good 2014-15 campaign this season.
Upcoming team previews in the "30 Teams in 30 Days" series:
- Tuesday: Charlotte Hornets
Preseason Game #2: Washington Wizards(2-0) vs. Charlotte Hornets(0-1)
Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Friday, 7:00 p.m.
Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)
The Charlotte Hornets preseason schedule will take them to Greenville, South Carolina on Friday night, when they face John Wall and the Washington Wizards. Charlotte is 0-1 on the preseason, after dropping a 106-92 decision to the 76ers last night in Philadelphia, while the Wizards are 2-0 on the preseason, with wins coming against the Bulls in Chicago on Monday, and Wednesday in Jacksonville, Florida against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Scouting the Wizards
The Washington Wizards were one of the surprise teams to make the NBA Playoffs last season, with a 44-38 mark, good enough for the team to get the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, before being eliminated by the Chicago Bulls.
Many are expecting the Wizards to come out of the gates again, depending on the health of each and every single player on their roster, including John Wall and Bradley Beal, two of the best players on their roster. Washington enters the match already winning 2 preseason games, on the road in Chicago on Monday, and defeating New Orleans back on Wednesday in Jacksonville, and they look for a 3-0 start in Greenville, South Carolina on Friday, when they take on the Charlotte Hornets.
Scouting the Hornets
Charlotte is coming off a tough-luck loss back on Wednesday in Philadelphia, losing to the Sixers by a 106-92 mark, but the game did have several bright spots for the Hornets in the loss, and that was Gary Neal coming off the bench to lead the way with 14 points, while Lance Stephenson made his presence known by finishing with 13 points along with Kemba Walker.
The game in Greenville, South Carolina on Friday is technically a "Home" game for the Hornets, as they will play Washington at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena(formerly the BI-LO Center). The last time that the Hornets played a preseason game in Greenville was back in 2000, and they also played there in 1999. For those interested in attending the game in Greenville, directions to Bon Secours Wellness Arena will be listed at the bottom.
Upcoming Hornets preseason game schedule(Home games in Purple, Road games in Teal)
Monday: Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Wednesday: Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte(11:00 a.m.)%
Friday: Charlotte @ Washington Wizards(7:00 p.m.)
October 19th: Charlotte @Chicago Bulls(7:00 p.m.)
%-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 locally on flagship station WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan) and throughout the Carolinas on the Hornets Radio Network.
DIRECTIONS TO BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA
From Charlotte: Take I-85 South to exit 51, merge on I-385 North to Greenville. Once in Greenville, take East North Street to Beattie Place and make a right onto North Church Street. Make a right on Manly Street and the Bon Secours Wellness Arena will be on your left.
