Hornets vs. Clippers Preview
Hornets vs. Clippers Preview: The Charlotte Hornets will play host to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, as the Clippers look to solidify themselves as the third seed in the Western Conference.
The Hornets, on the other hand, are battling it out with the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards for positioning for the play-in tournament.
The Clippers are coming off a nice win over the Toronto Raptors down in Tampa, as they bounced back after a tough loss at home to the New York Knicks on Sunday.
As for the Hornets, they’ve dropped two straight games and three of their last four, as they’re heading in the wrong direction at the wrong time of the year.
ODDS
The spread for Tuesday night is set at -8 Clippers. The over/under is slated at 224.
Clippers Look to Hold onto Third Seed
Kawhi Leonard won’t make life easy for the Hornets, as the two-time Finals MVP can take you off the dribble on the drive to the rim or pull-up and shoot at any time. Leonard can burn opposing defenses in a number of ways, but he can also lock in on the opposing teams’ best player and prevent them from getting any real rhythm going.
Paul George is also more than capable of turning it up at any time in terms of scoring the ball, but George has also stepped up his playmaking big time this season, as he’s averaging a career-high 5.2 assists per game.
Marcus Morris is also very capable of getting hot in a hurry from behind the arc, so if the Hornets’ defense focuses too much of their energy trying to shut down the Clippers’ superstar duo, then Morris can all of a sudden establish himself as a powerful weapon.
Hornets Look to Build Continuity
The Hornets are currently in the eighth spot in the East, as they’re currently slated to face off against the Boston Celtics in the play-in tournament. The winner of that matchup will earn the seventh seed in the playoffs.
LaMelo Ball has looked good in the seven games since he’s made his return, as he’s averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds in those games.
Terry Rozier’s career year continues as well, as the team’s leading scorer is averaging nearly 31 points per game in his last three games including a 43 point effort in Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Hornets will once again be without Gordon Hayward, who would’ve provided another big time threat as a scorer.
Clippers Win
The Clippers are too good of a team to let up against a team that has lost four of their last six. The Hornets’ future is bright, but there are just too many injuries and inconsistencies on their team to overcome a team that can win the championship this summer. There should be no shortage of scoring in this game, however, as both teams can fill it up.
