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What: Charlotte Hornets (16-16) at Brooklyn Nets (16-19)
When: 7:30 p.m. EST
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
How to watch: Fox Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass
The Charlotte Hornets are coming off a brutal loss in Boston to the Celtics. It was the second straight weekend soured by an abysmal performance against an upper tier opponent. Last time, after the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach James Borrego tightened the rotation and the team responded with back to back double digit wins.
That won’t be so easy this team. Unlike the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Brooklyn Nets actually resemble an NBA team, and lately, they’ve resembled a good one. An overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors on December 7th kick started a run in which the Nets won eight of nine games, including wins over the Lakers and 76ers.
Spencer Dinwiddie has been the main catalyst for that run. Playing with the confidence that comes with a three year, 34 million dollar bag, the former Colorado Buffalo has averaged 23 points and six assists per game during the streak while shooting 50% from the field and 39% from behind the arc.
But he’s far from the only one contributing. The Nets as a team have connected on 48.8% of their shots from the field and 40.7% of their 3-point attempts since that December 7th victory. The Hornets have had some problems closing out to shooters this season. That could be a problem against this iteration of the Nets.
The last time the Hornets laid an egg, they bounced back with wins, but they came against struggling teams. Tonight they’ll get a chance to prove their bounce-back-ability against a team moving in the other direction.