Hornets Extra: Hornets @ Rockets

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.

Hornets Extra: Bucks 104, Hornets 94(OT)

104

94(OT)

One day after the Carolina Panthers clinched the NFC South title, many were hoping that the Charlotte Hornets would continue to give Charlotte something to cheer about in last night's match-up against the Milwaukee Bucks at Time Warner Cable Arena.  After being down for almost the entire game, Charlotte would make a strong comeback, but in the end, Milwaukee had the last laugh, as they escaped out of Charlotte with a 104-94 win in overtime.  With the loss, the Hornets are now 10-22 on the season.

What did the Hornets in was their field goal percentage, shooting a dismal 36.7% from the field, a main concern for a team that's missing Lance Stephenson still with a pelvic injury.  That allowed the Bucks to jump out to a lead of 21 points, which also doomed the Hornets as well in the loss.

Milwaukee was led by Brandon Knight with 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field, while the Hornets in the loss were led by Kemba Walker and his 28 points.

Charlotte will have 2 tough games that won't be no easy walk in the park, with the first of them starting tomorrow night on New Year's Eve in Houston against Dwight Howard, James Harden, and the Houston Rockets for a 7:00 p.m. start at the Toyota Center.

Hornets Extra: Bucks vs. Hornets

Milwaukee Bucks(15-16) vs. Charlotte Hornets(10-21)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Monday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Last 2 meetings: Charlotte 108, Milwaukee 101(December 23rd at Milwaukee); Charlotte 108, Milwaukee 106(2OT on October 29th at Charlotte)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): Series tied 48-48 all time

The Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks will wrap up their 3-game season series tonight, this time around it will be on the Hornets home floor of Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte.  The last time these two teams met was almost 7 days ago, when Charlotte traveled to Milwaukee and defeated the Bucks 108-101 behind Kemba Walker's 27 point performance.

Charlotte is coming off a rough performance on Saturday, as Orlando defeated Charlotte 102-94, despite Walker's 42 point performance, along with a Charlotte NBA basketball franchise(dating back to the original Charlotte Hornets first season in 1988-89) record 35 points in the second half, surpassing the previous mark of 28 set by former Hornets Kelly Tripucka and Glen Rice, while the Bucks meanwhile, are coming off a 90-85 loss to Atlanta back on Saturday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Scouting the Bucks

The 15-16 Milwaukee Bucks are coming off a 5-point loss on Saturday to the Atlanta Hawks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, despite Khris Middleton leading the way with 21 points in the loss.  The last time Milwaukee and Charlotte met was last Tuesday, with the Hornets coming away with a 108-101 win to clinch the season series, and tonight, the Buck hope to avoid the season sweep by Charlotte, as they visit "The Queen City" for the third and final time this season.

Scouting the Hornets

Charlotte is coming off 2 rough outings after winning 4 straight, including a blowout loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road back on Friday, and a defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic on Saturday night at "The Hive", despite Kemba Walker's career-high 42-point performance, including 35 points in the second half, setting a Charlotte Hornets franchise record for points in a half, surpassing the previous mark of 28 in a half accomplished by former Hornets Kelly Tripucka in 1988 and Glen Rice, who did it twice in 1997 and again in 1998.  The Hornets are looking to get back into the win column, and looking to sweep the season series against the Bucks tonight, as the Hornets welcome in the Milwaukee Bucks for the third and final time in the 2014-15 season.

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

Wednesday: Charlotte @ Houston Rockets(7:00 p.m.)
Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Saturday: Charlotte @ Orlando Magic*(7:00 p.m.)
Next Monday: Charlotte @ Boston Celtics(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.

Hornets Extra: Magic 102, Hornets 94

102

94

To sum up last night's performance by the Charlotte Hornets in their home game against the Orlando Magic, it would be a tale of a team that has decided to quit on themselves for most of the night, while the other would be a tale of a player going beastmode.  It was that kind of night, as the Orlando Magic handed the Hornets their second straight loss witha 102-94 win over Charlotte.

Despite the loss, it would be a career/record setting night for Kemba Walker, as he would lead all game scorers with 42 points, including a record-setting 35 point performance in the second half, setting a Charlotte NBA record for most points in a half surpassing the 28 point point scoring totals in a half that were set by former Hornets Kelly Tripucka(28 vs. IND on 12/14/1988) and twice by Glen Rice(First vs. PHX on 2/19/1997 and again vs. MIA 1/2/1998).

Head Coach Steve Clifford wasn't pleased with his team's effort in the loss, which dropped Charlotte to 10-21, but he did praise Kemba for keeping his team in the game.  "He can be a cornerstone player for teams that go deep into the playoffs because of his competitiveness. He has just a competitive spirit that is contagious to me." Clifford said.

"I had a career night, a great game but it just wasn't enough. Our problem wasn't offensively, it was defensively." Walker said.  The defensive game doomed Charlotte big time, turning the ball over 10 times, and allowing Orlando to take advantage and opening the door for Nikola Vucevic to lead the way for the Magic with 22 points to go with 11 rebounds in last night's win.

Orlando also saw Tobias Harris join in with 21 points, while Victor Oladipo helped out the cause with 13 on the night for the Magic, who shot 45.8% from the field, despite being out-rebounded by the Hornets by a plus-1 margin(41-40).  Walker did indeed led all game scorers with a season-high 42 point outburst, while Al Jefferson had 14 points for Charlotte in the loss.

Charlotte hopes to bounce back from two tough losses and to get back into the win column on Monday night at Time Warner Cable Arena, as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:10 p.m., before hitting the road to wrap up 2014 in Houston against the Rockets on Wednesday.

Hornets Extra: Magic vs. Hornets

Orlando Magic(11-21; 2-5 in Southeast Division Play) vs. Charlotte Hornets(10-20; 2-3 in Southeast Division Play)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Saturday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Last meeting: Orlando 105, Charlotte 100(November 21st at Charlotte)

Series history(since 1989-90 season): ORL leads series 48-38 all-time

Two teams with tough losses last night will square off tonight at "The Hive", as the Charlotte Hornets come back home to face their Southeast Division rivals, the Orlando Magic.  The Hornets are coming off another loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder 98-75 last night, as they remain winless against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, while the Magic is coming off a loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last night on their home floor of Orlando.  The last time these two teams met was back on November 21st, when Orlando came back to defeat Charlotte 105-100, and the Hornets are looking for some redemption from that loss back on November 21st, this evening.

Scouting the Magic

Last night, the Orlando Magic squared off against their arch nemesis, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, as they suffered their fifth loss in it's last 6 games, by falling to the Cavs 98-89 at the Amway Center.  Despite the loss, the Magic did see Tobias Harris lead the way, while Nikola Vucevic had another good outing for Orlando in the loss.  The Magic hopes to bounce back from last night's loss in their game tonight on the road in Charlotte against the Hornets.

Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets meanwhile, saw its 4-game win streak come to a end last night in one of the toughest places to win in the NBA, Oklahoma City, as the Kevin Durant-less Thunder, led by Russell Westbrook, handed Charlotte a 98-75 loss.  Tonight, the Hornets are out for some payback after what the Magic did to them back in their first meeting on November 21st at Time Warner Cable Arena, when Orlando would battle all the way back to escape out of Charlotte with a 105-100 win, as the Hornets look to begin a new win streak tonight, when they face-off against the Magic at "The Hive", as the Hornets will face the Magic twice in 7 days, tonight at home and again next Saturday in Orlando.

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

Monday: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Wednesday: Charlotte @ Houston Rockets(7:00 p.m.)
Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Next Saturday: Charlotte @ Orlando Magic*(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.

Hornets Extra: Thunder 98, Hornets 75

75

98

In our preview of the game between the Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder that I did back on Wednesday, we said that the Charlotte franchise in the modern era(2004-present) hasn't won a game at Chesapeake Energy Arena since the Thunder arrived in Oklahoma City in 2008-09.  Well, the streak continued last night, as the Thunder ran up the score on Charlotte early and often, and ending the Hornets 4-game win streak with a 98-75 margin, dropping Charlotte to 10-20 on the season.

The number one reason why Charlotte couldn't come away with the win: Russell Westbrook.  He totally went off on Charlotte last night, scoring 29 points for a Oklahoma City team that many thought was going to struggle after playing on Christmas Day back on Thursday, but Scott Brooks saw it as an opportunity for the team to carry that momentum in to last night's game. 

"We talk about playing a defensive brand every night in back-to-back games to come back with a defensive effort for 48 minutes." said Brooks, as Oklahoma City held Charlotte to just 87 points, ending a streak of games that saw the Hornets reach 100 points.

Westbrook led the way with 29 points for the Thunder, on 11-of-21 shooting from the field, while Serge Ibaka got in on the fun with 13 points and rounding out the group of double-figure scorers for Oklahoma City was Charlotte native Anthony Morrow with 11 points.

The lone bright spot for the Hornets in the loss was Brian Roberts with 17 points off the bench.  Tonight, the Hornets look to start up a new win streak as they welcome in the Orlando Magic to Time Warner Cable Arena for a 7:10 p.m. start.

Hornets Extra: Hornets @ Thunder

Charlotte Hornets(10-19) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder(13-16)

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City

Friday, 8:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): SEA/OKC franchise leads series 32-15 all-time

After their 2-day Christmas break, the Charlotte Hornets will venture out to Oklahoma City in search of their 5th straight win against the always tough Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Hornets are coming off a 108-101 win over the Bucks on Tuesday night in Milwaukee, while the Thunder is licking their wounds after dropping a 115-111 decision to the Portland Trail Blazers, and they'll be in action on Christmas Day tomorrow, when they square off against the defending NBA champion Spurs in San Antonio.  The Charlotte franchise in the modern era(since 2004-05) hasn't won a game in Oklahoma City since the then-Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City back in the 2008-09 season, but the Hornets look to end the long streak on Friday night.

Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are enjoying their recent string of wins, 4 of them to be exact, as they defeated the Bucks last night in Milwaukee, while Kemba Walker has been carrying a good bulk of the load in those wins, along with Al Jefferson as well.  Last night's game marked the fifth time that the Hornets franchise has scored 100 points in a game since April 8-16 of 2008, when the then-Bobcats accomplished that feat.  The Charlotte franchise hasn't won a game in Oklahoma City in the modern era(2004-present), but the Hornets look to reverse that trend and finally earn themselves their first win in OKC on Friday night, as they take on the Thunder.

Scouting the Thunder

Last night was a crazy night for the Thunder on the home floor of Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, as they entertained the Portland Trail Blazers, and the end result of that game wasn't the way head coach Scott Brooks and his squad wanted to see, as Portland came away with a 115-111 win in overtime, despite Russell Westbrook dropping 40 points in the loss for the Thunder, who are still without one of their other star players, Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City will be in action on Christmas Day tomorrow, as they visit San Antonio to begin a back-to-back set against the defending champion Spurs, before they return home to OKC on Friday to face the Hornets.

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

Saturday: Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte*(7:00 p.m.)
Monday: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Next Wednesday: Charlotte @ Houston Rockets(7:00 p.m.)
Next Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers 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.

Hornets Extra: Hornets 108, Bucks 101

108

101

The Charlotte Hornets have been starting to find a formula in their last few games - sticking with the game plan and adding in some defensive pressure in the process.  That and the solid play of Kemba Walker has all contributed to Charlotte notching it's 4th straight win last night in Milwaukee, defeating the Bucks 108-101 to go to 10-19 on the season.

Despite being outsmarted in the transition game, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford was pleased to see his defense step it up in the fourth quarter, an area that the team has struggled a few times with this season. "They beat us in transition, but in the fourth quarter, when they needed to be, our defense was good." Clifford said.

Walker did lead the Hornets in scoring with 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field to lead the Hornets group of double-figure scorers in last night's win. Joining him was Gerald Henderson, who was 6-of-10 from the field to end up with 20 points, while Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson each had 12, with P.J. Hairston and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist each adding in 10 points.  Charlotte managed to out-shoot the Bucks from the free-throw line with a 77.8% average from that area, while they out-rebounded the Bucks by a plus-3 margin(43-40).

Milwaukee, who was coming off a four-game West Coast road swing, was led in scoring by Brandon Knight with a game-high 34 points to lead the Bucks, while he was joined by Khris Middleton with 12 points.  Giannis Antetokounmpo would finish up with 11 points and rounding out the list of double-figure scorers for the Bucks was Jared Dudley with 10 on the night.

The Charlotte Hornets will enjoy the next 2 days off for Christmas before they jump back into action on Friday night in Oklahoma City against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder for a 8:00 p.m. start at Chesapeake Energy Arena, before they return home to Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday to square off against the Orlando Magic.

Hornets Extra: December 23, 1988: A date that will live in Charlotte NBA history.

Today marks a date of historic significance in the 25 year history of Charlotte NBA basketball, as one game would become a turning point in the history of a young franchise back in their inaugural season of 1988-89, as the Charlotte Hornets, who were just 6-17 at the time were preparing to face Michael Jordan, who is of course the owner of the new version of the Hornets, and the Chicago Bulls, who were 13-10 before a sellout crowd of 23,388 at the Charlotte Coliseum and a national television audience on SuperStation WTBS in a game that would put Charlotte on the map as a NBA hotbed.

December 23rd,1988 wasn't your typical Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina, a city of 350,000 residents at the time, as many of us Charlotteans were either out doing some last minute Christmas shopping, or flying in and out of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport to visit our families for the holidays.  For the Charlotte Hornets, a young expansion franchise that was finding it's way around the NBA in its second month of existence, they were hoping to give the fans something to cheer about.

It would come in the form of Michael Jordan playing in his first professional basketball game in his home state as a member of the Chicago Bulls, the Hornets opponent that night at the Coliseum, and believe me, the place was jam packed with those wearing Purple and Teal on that December night in 1988.

The turning point of that night's game was in the final quarter of action, as many of the sellout crowd that were there, while the rest of us were either watching the game on television, or listening to the game on the Hornets flagship radio station at the time, 1110 WBT, whose 50,000 watt signal would reach "From Canada to Cuba", were all wondering what would happen next.  Chicago was up 85-77 at the time, but the Hornets would eventually go on a run of 10-0 to capture the lead at 87-85, as Tim Kempton would come off the bench for Charlotte with his six points to help the cause.

Jordan, who eventually led all scorers with 33 points in his first NBA game back in North Carolina, would make a layup to tie up the game at 101, and with less than 26 seconds left in regulation, everyone inside Charlotte Coliseum was on their feet to find out if the Hornets would send it to overtime, or go for the win. For the team's first head coach, Dick Harter, he knew that if you wanted to send the crowd home happy, go for the win.

Charlotte would get the ball with 26 seconds left in regulation, and with less than three seconds left in the game, Hornets guard Robert Reid would miss his potential game-winning shot, then it would come to forward Kurt Rambis, who would get it off the rim, and he got the ball back when they got a fresh 24 on the shot clock as he would put a stickback basket at the buzzer, to give the Hornets a 103-101 win, sending the 23,388 into a frenzy that night at the Coliseum, as the game would signal the beginning of "Hornets Hysteria", when the Charlotte Coliseum would sellout night after night for the next 364 Hornets games, while going on to lead the league in attendance in 8 out of 10 seasons.

If you're a Hornets fan since that first season in 1988-89, you knew that this game was indeed a memorable one in Charlotte NBA history, when you combine the 14 seasons of the original Hornets franchise, along with the 10 seasons of the Bobcats era, and many of us still have memories of this game to this very day, as this game against Chicago 26 years ago was truly another memorable moment in Charlotte Hornets history.  

For those of you who were wondering who led the Hornets in scoring that night, it was Kelly Tripucka with 30 points.

Hornets Extra: Hornets @ Bucks

Charlotte Hornets(9-19) vs. Milwaukee Bucks(14-14)

BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee

Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Last meeting: Charlotte 108, Milwaukee 106(Overtime on October 29th in Charlotte)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): MIL leads series 48-47 all-time

The Charlotte Hornets are facing another back-to-back set of games, as they visit Milwaukee tonight looking for their 4th straight win as they take on the Bucks.  The last time these two teams met, was back on Opening Night in Charlotte, where Kemba Walker was clutch for the Hornets in their 108-106 win over Milwaukee in Overtime back on October 29th at Time Warner Cable Arena.  Charlotte won convincingly last night at home, defeating the Denver Nuggets 110-82 for their third straight win, while Milwaukee is coming off a 106-102 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers last Saturday.

Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets come into tonight's game with a 3-game win streak under their belt, earning it in a 28-point blowout of the Denver Nuggets 110-82 last night at "The Hive" behind Al Jefferson's 22 point outing in the win for the Hornets, while Kemba Walker has been continuing his solid play over the last few games as well.  The two need to have another strong outing this evening for the Hornets, as they visit Milwaukee to battle the Bucks, who they defeated in overtime back on October 29th in Charlotte, as they look for their 4th straight win.

Scouting the Bucks

Milwaukee comes in sitting at the .500 mark(14-14), and entering tonight's game after a 106-102 close call at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.  Milwaukee has 2 star players to keep your eyes open for, and that's Brandon Knight and Giannis Antetokounmpo, these two have to carry the load for the Bucks now that Jabari Parker is done for the season, and they have been giving Milwaukee a solid chance to win night in and night out.  Look for either one of these two to have a good game tonight, as Milwaukee welcomes in the Charlotte Hornets to the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

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

Friday: Charlotte @ Oklahoma City Thunder(8:00 p.m.)
Saturday: Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte*(7:00 p.m.)
Monday: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Wednesday: Charlotte @ Houston Rockets(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.

Hornets Extra: Hornets 110, Nuggets 82

82

110

As the old saying goes, "When you're hot, you're hot.", and for the Charlotte Hornets in their last three games, they've been playing extremely well and winning by almost 20 points.  Fast forward to last night, as the Hornets notched it's third straight win with a 28-point drubbing of the Denver Nuggets 110-82 at Time Warner Cable Arena.  Charlotte improved its record to 9-19 on the season with last night's win, while Denver fell to 12-16.

Much of what we saw in last night's win for the Hornets came from Al Jefferson, who would lead the team with 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field, despite having just 7 rebounds on the night, while Kemba Walker had another strong performance again for the third straight game, as head coach Steve Clifford likes what he has seeing from Walker so far this season. "He's in the paint every pick-and-roll, and he can score." Clifford said. "But he's also kicking the ball out to his teammates."  Walker would finish the night with 18 points.  Gary Neal played a part in the win, scoring 13 points, while one of the biggest surprises on the night, P.J. Hairston, would not only score 10 points, but he also added in 10 rebounds, with Cody Zeller adding in 10 points of his own.

Charlotte would finish the night shooting 53.8% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range, while out-rebounding the Nuggets by a plus-7 margin(44-37).

And for the Nuggets in the loss, Ty Lawson led the way with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, while Alonzo Gee would score 15 points off the bench for the Nuggets.

Tonight in Milwaukee, the Hornets are out after their 4th straight win as they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center for a 8:00 p.m. start, before taking a 2-day Christmas break.  Charlotte will return to action on Friday, as they square off against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, before coming back home on Saturday night to face the Orlando Magic at "The Hive".

Hornets Extra: Nuggets vs. Hornets

Denver Nuggets(12-15) vs. Charlotte Hornets(8-19)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Monday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): DEN leads series 25-23 all-time

Two teams that have won 2 straight games are looking for a third straight win tonight, as the Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornets are in action at "The Hive".  Charlotte is coming off another 18-point victory, this time defeating the Utah Jazz last Saturday night with a 104-91 win, while Denver comes in with a win of their own over the Indiana Pacers 76-73 at the Pepsi Center.  So, the question for this game tonight is this: Who will come away with their third straight win?  

Scouting the Nuggets

Denver enters this game 3 games under .500, but don't let their 12-15 record fool you since they have won 2 straight games and they have of course, Ty Lawson leading a talented Nuggets squad.  On the season, Lawson is averaging 15.2 points per game, while his fellow teammates including Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried have also been giving in to the Nuggets system in the early portion of this season, as they look for their third straight win tonight in Charlotte against the Hornets, who have won 2 straight games of their own recently.

Scouting the Hornets

In their last 2 wins, coming on Friday in Philadelphia and on Saturday night at home against Utah, the Charlotte Hornets won those games by 18 points as they managed to finish both of those games in the 4th quarter, while building up a sizable lead in these 2 games, and here's the kicker: They did it without Lance Stephenson, who is out with an injury, while Kemba Walker has been the leading scorer for Charlotte in these 2 wins in the process as well.  Tonight, the Hornets will welcome in the Denver Nuggets to Time Warner Cable Arena, as they are looking for their third straight win, which is something they haven't accomplished yet this season, before they head to Milwaukee tomorrow night for the second of a back-to-back set against the Bucks.

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

Tuesday: Charlotte @ Milwaukee Bucks(8:00 p.m.)
Friday: Charlotte @ Oklahoma City Thunder(8:00 p.m.)
Saturday: Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte*(7:00 p.m.)
Next Monday: Milwaukee Bucks 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.

Hornets Extra: Hornets 104, Jazz 86

86

104

Playing a set of back-to-back games can take a toll on a NBA team during an 82-game schedule, but for the Charlotte Hornets, who entered last night's game after defeating the 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday, they wanted to carry the momentum from Friday's game into their game against the Utah Jazz at Time Warner Cable Arena, and boy did they ever keep their word true, as Charlotte cruised past Utah 104-86 for its second straight win, and improving to 8-19 on the season, thus ending a 10-game regular season losing skid vs. Utah as well.

For the Hornets, it was nothing more but a well-executed performance in their win, as they did not let up and didn't give up on each other, it was all about playing smart basketball, and it was all done possible by of course, Kemba Walker, who led the way with 20 points on just 8-of-17 shooting from the field, while Al Jefferson had himself a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds before leaving the game with a mild groin strain late in the game, but he did feel great to contribute to Charlotte's win last night.

"It feels good. If they needed me, I could've come back in there." Jefferson quoted.  Hornets head coach Steve Clifford liked what he saw out of Kemba in last night's game as well as their win on Friday in Philadelphia, too. "I'm not saying he's at an entirely different level, but his defense, organizational skills as a point guard and his pick and roll game this year is all better." Clifford said of Walker.

Charlotte also saw 2 other players reach double-figures, with Gerald Henderson adding in 17 points, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist got himself a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.  As a team, the Hornets finished up the night shooting 48.3% from the field, while out-shooting them from three-point range with 40.9% and winning the rebound battle by a +10 margin(49-39).

Utah saw 6 players reach double-figures in their portion of the final box score, with Gordon Hayward, who was one of the targets Charlotte had on their radar before choosing to stay with Utah, leading the way with 14 points on the night, while Derrick Favors and Joe Ingles each adding 13 points each.  Rudy Gobert and Alec Burks each had 11 on the night, with Trey Burke rounding out the list with 10 points.

Tomorrow night at "The Hive", the Hornets will be out for their third win in a row, as they welcome in Ty Lawson and the Denver Nuggets for a 7:00 p.m. start, before hitting the road on Tuesday night to square off against the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:00 p.m. inside the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Hornets Extra: Jazz vs. Hornets

Utah Jazz(8-19) vs. Charlotte Hornets(7-19)

Time Warner Cable Arena

Saturday, 7:00 p.m.

Television: SportSouth

Radio: WFNZ-AM(610 The Fan)

Series history(since original Hornets first season in 1988-89): UTA leads series 34-15 all-time

It's a quick turnaround for the Charlotte Hornets as they return home to Time Warner Cable Arena tonight to take on the Utah Jazz.  Charlotte snapped it's 4-game losing streak last night in Philadelphia as they held on to a 18-point win over the 76ers, while the Jazz is coming off a road win of their own last night in Orlando defeating the Magic.

Scouting the Jazz

Last night in Orlando, the Jazz got its second straight win as they defeated the Magic 101-94 as Derrick Favors would lead the way with 23 points for Utah, who comes in tonight with a 8-19 mark overall.  Utah is in the middle of a long 6-game road trip away from EnergySolutions Arena, as they will pay a visit to Charlotte tonight to face former teammate Al Jefferson and the Hornets.

Scouting the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are coming off a win of their own last night, as they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 109-91, ending a 4-game losing streak of their own behind a season-high 30 point outing from Kemba Walker, while Al Jefferson got into the act with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the win for Charlotte.  The Hornets know that they have to keep the momentum going into tonight's game at home as they take on the Utah Jazz for the first of 2 home games in 3 days, before hitting the road to face Milwaukee on Tuesday before breaking for Christmas.

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

Monday: Denver Nuggets vs. Charlotte(7:00 p.m.)
Tuesday: Charlotte @ Milwaukee Bucks(8:00 p.m.)
Friday: Charlotte @ Oklahoma City Thunder(8:00 p.m.)
Next Saturday: Orlando Magic 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.

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.

Hornets Extra: Suns 111, Hornets 106

111

106

The Charlotte Bobcats have been struggling to close out games big time as always this season, and in Wednesday's game at Time Warner Cable Arena, the Hornets had the game in hand, but the Phoenix Suns would come all the way back to hand Charlotte their 4th straight loss 111-106.  The Hornets are now 6-19 on the season with the loss on Wednesday night.

In the comeback win for the Suns, they were led by Isaiah Thomas Jr., who had 23 points off the bench for Phoenix, while Goran Dragic made his return to the lineup and helped his team out in the cause with 20 points.  They were also joined by Gerald Green and his 16 point performance, with Eric Bledsoe adding in 15 on the night.  Not to be outdone for Phoenix, which snapped it's 6-game losing streak, were Markieff Morris with 13 and rounding out the long list of double-figure scorers for the Suns was Alex Len with 10 points.

The Hornets were led in Wednesday night's loss by Al Jefferson, who had 28 points to go with 10 rebounds.  Charlotte is on the road tonight in Philadelphia as they take on the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.