7:40 pm
December 26

Hornets @ Nets

Who will WIN this matchup?

Charlotte Hornets (16-16)

@ Brooklyn Nets (16-19)

 

Current odds:

Charlotte Hornets: (+100)

Brooklyn Nets: (-120)

 

• The line for this game is Brooklyn by 1.5 points.

• The Brooklyn Nets bounced back well from their first loss in over two weeks and hope to continue their recent surge when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday in the front end of a home-and-home set. The Nets saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end with a loss to Indiana in the opener of a three-game homestand Friday, but recovered to top Phoenix 111-103 two nights later.

• The Hornets won five of seven to get back over .500 before dropping a 119-103 decision at Boston on Sunday. Kemba Walker scored 21 points while Marvin Williams shot 1-of-9 and missed all of his 3-point attempts one game after burying 7-of-11 from long range in a 24-point effort against Detroit. Charlotte returns home to host the Nets on Friday before heading back out on the road for seven of its next nine.

• Charlotte had gone eight straight quarters without giving up 30 points before the Celtics piled up 39 in the second during Sunday’s matchup. “I think in our overall mentality just wasn’t there tonight,” coach James Borrego told reporters. “They were just the more aggressive team. They just looked like the more hungry team tonight.” A bright spot was the play of backup center Willy Hernangomez, who produced season highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes.

• Spencer Dinwiddie’s scoring has so often been the catalyst during Brooklyn’s turnaround and the 25-year-old guard recovered from an off night in the loss to Indiana to score 24 points in 26 minutes versus Phoenix. Fellow reserve Ed Davis added 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and three steals as Brooklyn improved to 8-11 at home. Joe Harris set a franchise record by making three 3-pointers for the sixth straight game and has at least one in 31 straight home games, tied with Joe Johnson’s 2012-13 streak for the longest in team history.

• Walker has shot better than 50 percent from the floor in back-to-back games after shooting no better than 42.3 percent in his first eight contests this month.

• Nets SF Rodions Kurucs is averaging 20 points and 6.5 rebounds over his last two games.

• Charlotte took two of three meetings last season, including a 111-105 triumph in its one visit to Brooklyn.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Brooklyn Nets
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