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Charlotte Hornets Take on the Washington Wizards, Look for Fourth Straight Win
A star-studded backcourt matchup highlights the Charlotte Hornets’ matchup with John Wall, Bradley Beal, and the Washington Wizards.
The Charlotte Hornets (23-21) are set to host the Washington Wizards (23-20) as they go for their fourth consecutive victory at home. Since returning home for their current five-game homestand, Charlotte has put their five-game losing streak behind them and have put together three straight wins. After defeating the Brooklyn Nets last time out, they will look to continue their great play with another win in this one.
In their last game, the Wizards fell to the Detroit Pistons away from home. Despite losing that match, Washington has been rolling as of late as they have won seven of their last nine games in total. They are only 5-14 on the road this season so the Hornets have that in their favor.
The Wizards came out on top, 109-106 on December 14th, in the only previous meeting this season between the two sides. They will face off four times in total and with their records being so close, these games could be important later in the year. This should be a fun game as these are two middle of the pack playoff bound teams in the Eastern Conference.
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Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards
7:00 p.m. EST, Monday, January 23rd, 2017
Spectrum Center
Broadcast on FOX Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
TBD
WAS:
Danuel House Jr. is OUT – missed last 29 games (11/26-1/21) – Right wrist fracture. Injury occurred on 11/23 during practice. Ian Mahinmi is OUT – missed last 28 games (11/28-1/21)
Ian Mahinmi is OUT – missed last 28 games (11/28-1/21) – PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment on both knees.
Biggest Story:
Controlling the Pace
The Wizards are a team that likes to get steals and run in the open court. They are fifth in the NBA with 8.7 steals per game. Washington takes advantage of those extra opportunities as they are eighth in the league with 16.9 points off turnovers per game and seventh in fastbreak points per game with 15.
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On the other hand, the Hornets like to slow things down more. Their ability to take care of the ball should help control a slower pace and not allow the Wiz to get out in transition. Charlotte’s only 25th in pointer off turnovers per game at 14.6 and 27th in fastbreak points per game with 10.7.
Matchup to Watch:
Kemba Walker/ Nicolas Batum vs John Wall/ Bradley Beal
While Kemba is a top-20 scorer in the NBA this season, the Wizards have two players in the top-25 with Wall and Beal. It will be tough to slow down Washington’s deadly backcourt as they average 44.7 points per game. Compare that to the Hornets’ backcourt that only averages 38 points per game.
The difference between Nic Batum and Bradley Beal is Nicolas’ ability to impact the game in more ways than just scoring. He can control the boards while also being an all-around playmaker. Wall and Walker should lead the scoring for their respective teams so it should be fun to watch those two potential all-stars battle it out.
