Hornets hope to stop four-game losing streak with win against Trail Blazers

The Charlotte Hornets are up in Oregon taking on the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. The Hornets have lost their last four games against some mediocre teams, confirming that they’re streaky and not nearly as good as we expected prior to the season.

I’d be shocked if the Hornets didn’t make a trade in the next few weeks.

The Blazers have split their last 10 games and are 21-28 on the season, well out of the playoff race in the Western Conference. That’s no fault of Damian Lillard, who’s having a stupendous season with averages of 26.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.

His team’s just not that good.

The Hornets absolutely destroyed the Blazers earlier this month, 107-85, in what looked to be a turning point for the team. The Hornets went on to win their next two games, but since then they’ve lost four straight.

Yuck.

Cody Zeller is out tonight, as is Brian Roberts. However, Jeremy Lamb is expected to make his return against the Blazers tonight after picking up a DNP-CD on Friday. His length will come in handy against C.J. McCollum.

The Blazers can score in bunches, so the Hornets’ defense will need to be on point. They’re also pretty good at forcing turnovers, something the Hornets have struggled with of late. However, they’re abysmal at defending 3-pointers, meaning Marco Belinelli and Kemba Walker will have a green light from behind the arc.

A win against the Blazers would bump them up to one game below .500 and back into the playoff race. Unfortunately, their margin for error is small. They need to start stringing wins together consistently if they’re to play in April.

Tip-off is at 10 p.m.