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Hornets look for revenge against Lakers

Back in November, Charlotte gave the Los Angeles their first win of the season. With the playoff race as tight as ever, the Hornets can't afford to repeat their last letdown against the Lakers.

By MullensMafia
"You guys are like an old married couple" -Henderson
"You guys are like an old married couple" -Henderson
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

When: 7:00 P.M. EST

Where: Charlotte, NC, Time Warner Cable Arena

How to Watch: Fox Sports South, NBA League Pass

Leading 51-42 at the end of the first half against a team that was 0-5 at the time, the Hornets were looking to become 4-4 and build off a crazy overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks. Instead, the Los Angeles Lakers came out in the third quarter with a 2-3 zone and outscored the Hornets 34-13 in the third quarter. Despite incredible defense by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on Kobe Bryant, the team couldn't contain the likes of Jeremy Lin, Wayne Ellington, and Carlos Boozer who all shot over 60 percent from the field.

Tonight's match-up will be very different than the Hornets loss from almost four months ago. The Lakers (16-42) now have rookie Jordan Clarkson and sophomore Ryan Kelly in the starting lineup. Despite the young guys getting major floor time, the Lakers have been playing some quality basketball and have won three of their last four games, with wins against Milwaukee, Utah, and Boston. Clarkson especially has been playing very well and could use his height and athleticism to bother the Hornets' small point guards. He's averaging 13.7 points in 15 games as a starter, while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point land.

If the Hornets can contain Clarkson and Jeremy Lin, things should be easy on the other end as the Lakers allow 110.8 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 29th in the league. Even if the Hornets see the zone again, the addition of Mo Williams should help the Hornets with their outside shooting. In his five games with the Hornets, Mo Williams is shooting 38.1 percent on four catch and shoot 3-pointers per game. He's also shooting a ridiculous 71.4 percent on almost three "tightly" guarded 3-pointers per game (stats per NBA.com).

Final notes: Bismack Biyombo (three points and three rebounds) made his return against the Orlando Magic and looked rusty, but brought much needed energy to the second unit. His rebounding will be needed as the Lakers have solid offensive rebounders in the frontcourt. Their last game the Lakers were without an injured Nick Young, who is in the news recently for a dolphin slash Iggy Azalea related argument with ESPN. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. It's unclear if Young will be available Tuesday. The Hornets do not have any notable injuries other than Kemba Walker, who is still out for at least another week but was seen in practice shooting.


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