We continue our series looking back at the first 30 years of Charlotte Hornets basketball by turning back the clock to November 8, 1988, a day that saw the Hornets earn its very first win in franchise history over the Los Angeles Clippers.
There's always a first time for everything
After dropping the first two games of the 1988-89 inaugural campaign, the Charlotte Hornets entered that evening's game against the Los Angeles Clippers on the home floor of the Charlotte Coliseum, and as the old saying goes, "There's always a first time for everything." Many of us remember our first day of school, that first kiss, even getting that first house or card, but for the Hornets they had to get that first win not knowing the fact that George Shinn would suffer a stroke earlier in the day. It occurred during an interview with the local Charlotte media when they asked about a possible name change for the 3-month old Coliseum on Tyvola Road Extension, and many of the other media members that were there were wondering where was Charlotte, and why this city deserved an NBA team to play in what was once the largest basketball-specific arena in the NBA when it opened back on August 11, 1988, and when the interview ended, Spencer Stolpen, the team's president at the time, was checking into the offices at 100 Hive Drive, and he did not realize that Shinn would suffer a stroke, causing concern for the 18,865 fans that were headed to that evening's game at "The Hive", but as the saying goes, "The Game Must Go On."
Crossing the threshold of victory for the first time
The game did go on, and in that game against the Clippers, fans would witness another first in Charlotte Hornets history, as Kurt Rambis would record the very first double-double in franchise history, as he would finish with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, while adding in 14 rebounds for the first 10+ rebound game in Hornet history, while Kelly Tripucka would lead the way for Charlotte with a game-high 24 points, and when the final horn sounded, the Hornets would taste victory for the very first time, as they would send the 18,865 home happy with a 117-105 win over the L.A. Clippers, and afterwards, the team would sign a ball and presented it to George Shinn to honor that first win in franchise history.
The Charlotte Hornets first win on November 8, 1988 is another in a long and storied chapter of NBA basketball in Charlotte, as we continue to celebrate the 30th anniversary of that first Hornets season back in 1988-89.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of NBA basketball in Charlotte, and today marks the observance of the very first NBA game ever played in the city, as the Charlotte Hornets would mark their debut as the 24th franchise in the National Basketball Association as one of the league's 4 expansion teams. Their opponent that night was the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have been in the league since 1970, and everyone in this small sleepy Southern town of 350,000 residents at that time were all excited and looking forward to welcoming Charlotte to the big leagues as the Hornets would become the first major-league sports team in the Carolinas. Before that, a lot of things would all come into focus to make it a reality.
One man's vision made it all happen
The vision to bring the NBA to Charlotte was made possible by Kannapolis, North Carolina native George Shinn, who was a self-made millionaire as owner of Rutledge Education Systems, a private for-profit business school, and long before that, he even served as a janitor at Evans Business College, and when that school was facing financial trouble, Shinn would buy the school. When the NBA decided that it would plan on expanding in the mid 1980's, he would assemble a group to help "Bring the NBA to Basketball Country", by bringing in Felix Sabates, owner of several car dealerships in the Charlotte area, and is still a minority investor in the current Hornets franchise, Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, and the late Cy Bahakel, founder of Bahakel Communications Ltd., the owner of WCCB, Charlotte's CW affiliate and the original television home for Hornets basketball.
A dream and vision achieved
On April 5, 1987, the NBA Board of Governors would announce that the league would be expanding by four teams, with two teams slated to begin play in 1988-89 and two more would join in 1989-90, and interestingly enough, the first of those four teams would be Charlotte, because at the time of the League's plans to expand, the city was already in the process of building the brand new Charlotte Coliseum off of Tyvola Road Extension, which impressed league executives, and the Charlotte group had over 10,000 fans on a waiting list for season tickets for that first campaign in 1988-89. After Charlotte was awarded an NBA expansion franchise, fans got involved with the effort, which included a "Name-the-Team" contest, as over 9,000 fans sent in suggestions for the team name, and they overwhelmingly selected "Hornets" as the winning favorite. Along the way, Charlotte's new NBA franchise would see more things come their way, including fashion designer Alexander Julian being picked to design the iconic Hornets uniform, Cheryl Henson, daughter of "Muppets" creater Jim Henson coming up with the design of "Hugo", the team's mascot, and of course Dick Harter being chosen as the first ever coach of the Charlotte Hornets franchise.
The Big Day
November 4, 1988. Opening Night of the Hornets inaugural season. Fans were excited and anxiously waiting for what would go down as one of the biggest days in Charlotte, as well as throughout North and South Carolina, as 23,388 fans would pack the new Charlotte Coliseum, which opened 2 months earlier back on August 11, 1988, mostly in gowns and tuxedos for the Hornets debut. It was a mixture of what would be a Hollywood premiere or an awards program, as searchlights would light the way for those that were heading to the game that evening would be in for the night of their lives, even the Charlotte Symphony and Oratorio Singers of Charlotte were even there for the pregame entertainment, as well as the Governors of both Carolinas, South Carolina governor Carroll Campbell and North Carolina governor Jim Martin, were there to all honor George Shinn and his vision to bring a major-league sports franchise to the Carolinas.
After the festivities ended, it was time to play some basketball, and the game would produce two bright spots for the Charlotte Hornets on that night. The first would come when Kelly Tripucka would snatch a rebound from Brad Daugherty and put it in the basket for the very first basket in Charlotte Hornets history, and the Hornets would get what would be their only lead of the night, a 34-32 lead in the second quarter. But the Cavs would spoil the opening night party for Charlotte as they would cruise to a 133-93 win that night, and when the game ended, some of the 23,388 fans gave the Hornets a standing ovation as they would leave the court on what would be a big night in Charlotte sports.
This is the first in a series of postings looking back at some of the memorable moments during this the 30th anniversary year of NBA basketball in Charlotte, as we look back at where this franchise has been and look ahead to where it will be going in the future.
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
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9. Miami Heat: 29-36
10. Boston Celtics: 29-36
11. Brooklyn Nets: 26-38
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
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9. Miami Heat: 29-36
10. Boston Celtics: 28-36
11. Brooklyn Nets: 25-38
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
After dropping the first two games of the 1988-89 inaugural campaign, the Charlotte Hornets entered that evening's game against the Los Angeles Clippers on the home floor of the Charlotte Coliseum, and as the old saying goes, "There's always a first time for everything." Many of us remember our first day of school, that first kiss, even getting that first house or card, but for the Hornets they had to get that first win not knowing the fact that George Shinn would suffer a stroke earlier in the day. It occurred during an interview with the local Charlotte media when they asked about a possible name change for the 3-month old Coliseum on Tyvola Road Extension, and many of the other media members that were there were wondering where was Charlotte, and why this city deserved an NBA team to play in what was once the largest basketball-specific arena in the NBA when it opened back on August 11, 1988, and when the interview ended, Spencer Stolpen, the team's president at the time, was checking into the offices at 100 Hive Drive, and he did not realize that Shinn would suffer a stroke, causing concern for the 18,865 fans that were headed to that evening's game at "The Hive", but as the saying goes, "The Game Must Go On."
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