Thursday, July 16, 2026
Home Blog Page 3522

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks

After completing a 4-0 homestand, the Cleveland Cavaliers will head back on the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

Cleveland is looking to avenge a 113-98 loss to Milwaukee on Nov. 16, when center Brook Lopez shot 7 for 9 from 3-point range and scored 29 points to lead the Bucks.

The loss marked the Cavaliers’ fifth straight at the time, but the team’s fortunes quickly turned with wins over the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers.

Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points and Jarrett Allen had a season-high 24 points and 13 rebounds in Wednesday’s 114-96 victory over Portland.

The Cavaliers face a tough matchup against the Bucks, who are 9-2 at home.

One of the two losses came Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, who forced 20 turnovers and withstood a late charge by the Bucks in a 118-113 victory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead Milwaukee, while Lopez scored 20 points and Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 11 assists.

DeMar DeRozan had 36 points for Chicago, which was 18 of 42 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range.

Antetokounmpo continues to provide five-star performances for Milwaukee, which is in the midst of a four-game homestand. The two-time MVP is averaging 30.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

The Bucks’ perimeter game received a boost on Wednesday when shooting guard Wesley Matthews returned after missing three games with a right hamstring strain.

Matthews had six points in 17 minutes off the bench against Chicago.

Cleveland is monitoring the status of both guard Caris LeVert and forward Kevin Love. LeVert has missed the past two games with a left ankle sprain, while Love has been inactive for two of the past three games due to a fractured right thumb.

Love is planning to play through the pain when possible, but he was also battling an illness on Wednesday and is listed as day-to-day. Love is averaging 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Bickerstaff has been impressed by the play of third-year pro Lamar Stevens, who moved into the starting lineup four games ago.

The 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 9.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in his last seven games while playing a key role on the defensive end.

NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies

Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were the first two players selected in the 2019 NBA Draft. The New Orleans Pelicans took Williamson out of Duke, then the Memphis Grizzlies selected Morant out of Murray State.

The dynamic young stars have played in the same NBA game just four times because of injuries, but both are expected to play when the surging Pelicans visit the slumping Grizzlies on Friday night.

Williamson, who missed a 113-102 home victory against the Grizzlies on Nov. 15, returned from a bruised foot to play in the last two games. He had a season-high 32 points to go with 11 rebounds in a 129-110 victory at San Antonio on Wednesday.

The victory, the Pelicans’ fifth in six games, came two nights after a 45-point thumping of the short-handed Golden State Warriors.

New Orleans played without starting guard CJ McCollum (non-COVID illness) against San Antonio, but Devonte’ Graham came off the bench to score 21 points, making six 3-pointers, and center Jonas Valanciunas added 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Morant, who had 36 points but just 20 after the first quarter in the loss at New Orleans, returned from a one-game absence due to a sprained ankle when the Grizzlies lost to visiting Sacramento 113-109 on Tuesday night.

Morant scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-point play that pulled Memphis within one point with 5.3 seconds left.

After two free throws by the Kings, Morant had a chance to tie the score when he was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left. But he missed two of the three free throws, and the Grizzlies lost for the fourth time in five games.

Desmond Bane remains sidelined because of a sprained big toe, but Jaren Jackson Jr. made his season debut in the first game against the Pelicans after undergoing offseason foot surgery.

The Pelicans have won all four games in which Williamson and Morant have both played, the last being a 144-113 New Orleans victory in Memphis on Feb. 16, 2021.

In the games in which both have played, Williamson has averaged 26.8 points and six rebounds, and Morant has averaged 17.8 points and 7.0 assists.

In Williamson’s absence in the last meeting, McCollum scored 30 points to lead six Pelicans in double figures, and New Orleans made 18 3-pointers on 38 attempts.

NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers at Orlando Magic

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers at Orlando Magic

The injury-riddled Philadelphia 76ers look to avoid falling below .500 on the season when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Philadelphia lost for the second time in three outings with a 107-101 setback to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

Shake Milton collected 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and De’Anthony Melton added 20 points, six boards and four steals in the defeat. The two have meshed well while playing in place of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, who are dealing with respective foot injuries.

Another player nursing an injury for the 76ers is star Joel Embiid, who is dealing with a left mid-foot sprain. The five-time All-Star is averaging 32.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

In Embiid’s absence, Tobias Harris and Montrezl Harrell picked up the slack on Wednesday by scoring 19 and 16 points, respectively.

While the 76ers effectively have been stuck in neutral, the Magic have been going in reverse with losses in four of their last five games — including two in a row to the Indiana Pacers.

Franz Wagner scored 29 points in Orlando’s 114-113 setback to Indiana on Saturday and added 20 more in a 123-102 loss on Monday.

Star rookie Paolo Banchero sat out those two games and the last seven overall with a sprained left ankle sustained in the fourth quarter of a 134-127 loss to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 7.

Banchero, the top overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, returned to practice on Wednesday. His availability for Friday’s game will be determined based on his response to the practice session and treatment.

Banchero bolted out to a fast start to his NBA career by averaging 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 11 games.

Quarter Mark: 2022-23 NHL Season

NHL Editor
-
0
Quarter Mark: 2022-23 NHL Season

By the Numbers: The first quarter of the 2022-23 regular season, with comparative stats through 317 games. The 2022-23 regular season will reach the quarter mark with the 11th of 14 games scheduled for Friday, Nov. 25 (328 of 1,312 games).


Offense, Competitiveness and Back-and-Forth Action Defines First Quarter
6.3 – Goals-per-game rate in 2022-23, the highest rate at this stage of a season (317 GP) in the past 28 campaigns (tied w/ 2005-06 and 1995-96).

22 – Number of third-period, multi-goal comeback wins this season, the most ever at this stage of a campaign.

32 – Number of teams with at least one comeback win this season, with 25 of those clubs also staging at least one multi-goal comeback victory.

42 – Number of multi-goal comeback wins so far in 2022-23 (13% of games), the third time in five seasons – and fourth time in NHL history – we’ve had as many at this stage of a campaign (also 48 in 2018-19, 45 in 2019-20 and 43 in 1986-87).

46 – Percentage of games that have been comeback wins (146 of 317 GP), the highest at this stage of a season in NHL history (tied w/ 2012-13).The highest end of season total is 44%, seen in 2005-06 (537 of 1,230 GP).

47.6 – Hits per game in 2022-23, the third-highest rate on record at this stage of a season behind 1999-00 (50.3) and 2000-01 (47.7).

73 – Percentage of games decided by a one-goal margin or 2+ goals following an empty-net tally (231 of 317 GP), the highest rate at this stage of a season in NHL history.

74 – Number of go-ahead goals in the final five minutes of regulation, the second most ever at this stage of a season, behind 2018-19 (75 in 317 GP).

227 – Games with at least one tying goal, tied with 2005-06 for the most at this stage of a season in the past 35 years (since 1987-88). The number of game-tying goals stands at 377 so far in 2022-23, second most at this stage over the past 28 seasons (behind only 2005-06: 381).

***

Teams Making Push for Playoff Turnover
6 – Number of non-playoff teams from 2022 that currently hold a playoff spot: New Jersey (No. 1 in Metropolitan), NY Islanders (No. 2 in Metropolitan), Detroit (No. 3 in Atlantic), Vegas (No. 1 in Pacific), Seattle (No. 2 in Pacific) and Winnipeg (No. 3 in Central). There has been a playoff turnover of at least five teams in every season under the Wild Card format.

13 – Number of teams in NHL history that have produced a year-over-year improvement of 35+ standings points (min. 80 GP in first season) – the Devils (+68 points), Kraken (+48 points) and Golden Knights (+35 points) all are on pace to do so in 2022-23. The largest YOY improvement under those terms is +58, achieved by the Sharks from 1992-93 (24 points in 84 GP) to 1993-94 (82 points in 84 GP). New Jersey (63 points) and Seattle (60 points) each finished the 2021-22 campaign with fewer than 70 points, while Vegas had 94 points last season.

22 – Number of teams currently with a point percentage of .500 or higher, including seven that were outside the playoff picture last season (New Jersey, Vegas, Seattle, Winnipeg, Detroit, NY Islanders and Montreal).

***

Top Scorers So Far
3 – Number of players tied for the League lead in goals, with Jason Robertson and Bo Horvat pulling into a tie with Connor McDavid on Nov. 23 (after he held the outright lead for 27 days). This is the first time in 19 applicable seasons since 2000-01 that three players have been tied for the most goals at U.S. Thanksgiving.

4 – Number of players among the top seven goal scorers so far in 2022-23 who have never finished a season among the top 10 in that category: Bo Horvat (t-1st; 16), Jason Robertson (t-1st; 16), Andrei Svechnikov (t-4th; 13) and Tage Thompson (t-4th; 13).

6 – Number of times since 2000-01 that the points leader at U.S. Thanksgiving has gone on to win the Art Ross Trophy (in 19 applicable seasons over that span). Connor McDavid, the current points leader with 16-19—35 (20 GP), did so in 2016-17, while Leon Draisaitl (2019-20), Patrick Kane (2015-16), Sidney Crosby (2013-14), Evgeni Malkin (2008-09) and Jarome Iginla (2001-02) are the others to do so in that span. Four players are currently within five points of McDavid for the League lead.

21 – Number of points by Jason Robertson in November (12-9—21 in 11 GP), the most among all players. His active 13-game point streak is tied for the longest by a Dallas player (since 1993-94). Robertson had a six-game goal streak earlier this season, also tied for the longest by a Dallas player since relocation and equal to the lengthiest in the NHL in 2022-23.

30 – Points by Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (11-19—30 in 22 GP), tops among defensemen. He became the 10th different defenseman in NHL history to collect 30 points within his first 22 games of a season, following John Carlson (2019-20), Bryan McCabe (2005-06), Al MacInnis (1990-91), Ray Bourque (1989-90), Paul Coffey (4x; last: 1988-89), Doug Wilson (2x; last: 1987-88), Randy Carlyle (1981-82), Denis Potvin (3x; last: 1979-80) and Bobby Orr (6x; last: 1974-75).

31 – Number of players with a double-digit goal count so far, including Alex Ovechkin (10 G in 21 GP) who now sits 10 goals away from 800 in his career and from his 18th consecutive 20-goal season.

54 – Number of players averaging at least 1.00 points-per-game in 2022-23 (min. 10 GP), the most at this stage of a season since 1993-94 when there were 58 skaters with at least a point-per-game through 317 contests.

***

Notable Streaks from the First Quarter
6 – Length of the longest winning streak by a goaltender so far this season, with Jordan Binnington, Linus Ullmark, Logan Thompson and Vitek Vanecek all achieving the feat. Binnington’s victories helped St. Louis become the first team in NHL history to post a winning streak of 7+ games immediately on the heels of a winless streak of 8+ games.

8 – Length of New Jersey’s active road winning streak, the longest in the NHL this season. Their 13-game overall winning streak, which ended Nov. 23, tied a franchise record and was the second longest in NHL history by a team that missed the playoffs the prior season (behind a 16-0-0 run by Columbus in 2016-17).

11 – Length of Boston’s active home winning streak, tied for the longest home winning streak from the start of a season in NHL history. They can set a new record Friday when the Hurricanes travel to TD Garden.

14 – Length of Mitchell Marner’s active point streak, the longest in the NHL this season and the lengthiest by a Maple Leafs player in the past 28 years.

NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks at Houston Rockets

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks at Houston Rockets

Following an unusual extended break in the schedule that included Thanksgiving, the Houston Rockets will return to work on Friday when they host the Atlanta Hawks.

The Rockets, who have dropped five of their last six and have won only once at home this season, last played on Sunday, suffering a 127-120 home loss to the Golden State Warriors. It’s rare in the NBA to have so many days off between games, and this stretch could prove crucial for the Rockets as they continue to build and develop their young roster.

So much of the focus in Houston centers on the maturation of guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green. However, for the Rockets to continue on the path forward, they must see growth from rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. while crafting a reliable bench in support of their starting unit.

Smith, taken third overall in the 2022 NBA draft, has labored through an uneven start to his career. But Smith won’t turn 20 until May, and when he flashes as he did against the Warriors (22 points and seven rebounds), what must be remembered is his individual potential in addition to his ability to influence the Rockets at large.

Three Houston reserves have taken the initiative to provide juice off the bench: rookie forward Tari Eason, second-year big Usman Garuba and third-year swingman KJ Martin. Eason in particular has shown a penchant for ball-hawking and doing everything necessary to light a fuse.

Eason and Martin combined for 31 points, 12 rebounds and four steals against the Warriors. Garuba added six rebounds (three offensive) and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench.

The Hawks snapped the Sacramento Kings’ seven-game winning streak with a 115-106 home victory on Wednesday. Trae Young scored a game-high 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting while Clint Capela (11 points, 14 rebounds) and De’Andre Hunter (13 points, 10 rebounds) added double-doubles. The Hawks have alternated wins and losses over their last nine contests.

Young lauded the Hawks’ success at “playing fast, playing aggressive (and) getting downhill” against the Kings, necessary facets for an offense that ranks seventh in pace, according to Basketball Reference.

Atlanta has featured a middling offense, a modest surprise given its roster construction with Young at the controls. Some of the lack of punch could be linked to guard Bogdan Bogdanovic remaining sidelined from a knee injury suffered during the offseason.

NBA Preview: Washington Wizards at Miami Heat

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Washington Wizards at Miami Heat

Kyle Lowry leads injury-trodden Heat into meeting with Wizards

Point guard Kyle Lowry, who played 63 of the Miami Heat’s 82 games last season and appeared in just 46 of the Toronto Raptors’ contests in a year prior, is suddenly an iron man.

At age 36.

With the Heat missing several of their top players at various points throughout the first 19 games, Lowry has logged more minutes on the young season than any other player not named Kevin Durant.

Lowry, who has yet to miss a single game, is expected to be the Heat’s guiding force once again on Friday night when they host the Washington Wizards.

Miami beat Washington 113-105 on Wednesday. Lowry scored a season-high 28 points in 35 minutes in that game, while going 7 for 12 from the field, which included sinking 5 of 6 3-pointers. He was also a perfect 9 for 9 from the free-throw line.

The Heat played without leading scorer Jimmy Butler (sore right knee), starter Max Strus (right shoulder impingement) and key reserve Duncan Robinson (sprained left ankle).

Then again, the Wizards were also without their leading scorer, Bradley Beal, because of a quad contusion. Starting forward Rui Hachimura (sore right ankle) and starting point guard Monte Morris (ankle) also sat out the game.

The good news for the Heat is that dynamic guard Tyler Herro returned on Wednesday, scoring 17 points in 29 minutes.

Herro, who had missed eight games due to a sprained ankle, wasn’t totally sharp in his return, shooting just 6-for-15 from the floor.

With Butler out, Miami has been starting 19-year-old rookie Nikola Jovic.

Jovic played just four of Miami’s first 14 games, coming off the bench in each one. He totaled just nine points in those four contests.

However, Jovic has started Miami’s past five games, averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Washington has its own up-and-coming talent in Deni Avdija, a 21-year-old in his third season in the league.

Avdija, a first-round pick in 2020, nearly had a triple-double against Miami on Wednesday with 12 points, a game-high 10 assists and nine rebounds.

The Wizards got a game-high 33 points in that meeting from Kyle Kuzma, but he made just 2 of 13 3-pointers.

For the season, Beal — who has missed six games due to various injuries and health and safety protocols — leads the Wizards in points (22.7) and assists per game (5.8). It is possible he will return on Friday.

Kristaps Porzingis is second on the team in scoring (20.4 points per game) and first in rebounds (8.8) and blocks per game (1.5). Kuzma is third in scoring (19.8 ppg) and second in rebounds (8.1 per game).

If Morris and Hachimura miss Friday’s game, the Wizards are expected to turn again to Jordan Goodwin at point guard and Corey Kispert at forward. Goodwin and Kispert combined to post 16 points, five assists and three rebounds in 64 minutes on Wednesday.

NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets at Indiana Pacers

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets at Indiana Pacers

For most of his 12-game tenure, coach Jacque Vaughn saw the Brooklyn Nets give enough effort that did not warrant severe criticism.

After the Nets took an 11-point loss in Philadelphia Tuesday, against an opponent missing three starters, Vaughn took his team’s effort to task.

Brooklyn’s effort was significantly better Wednesday in Toronto and Vaughn is hoping to see more of the same Friday night when the Nets visit the Indiana Pacers.

The Nets are 7-5 since Vaughn replaced Steve Nash on Nov. 1, a day after Brooklyn beat Indiana 116-109 and three days after it allowed 23 3-pointers in an 11-point loss to Indiana that prompted a team meeting.

On Wednesday, the Nets earned a 112-98 win over the Raptors, who were without Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam. Brooklyn did allow 34 second-chance points and 23 offensive rebounds Wednesday but also limited Toronto to 35.6 percent shooting, including a stout 7 of 29 from 3-point range after allowing 16 3s on Tuesday.

It was Brooklyn’s second-lowest opponent shooting percentage of the season and the sixth time it allowed under 100 points this season — with each instance occurring since Vaughn took over.

Kyrie Irving scored 19 of his 29 points in the third quarter and the Nets survived Kevin Durant being held to a season-low 12 points.

Indiana has won five of six but saw its five-game winning streak stopped by a rough night of interior defense.

In Wednesday’s 115-101 loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pacers allowed a dreadful 74 points in the paint, resulting in Minnesota shooting 61 percent from the field. Before Wednesday, Indiana conceded 104.6 points on 40.9 percent from the field in its five-game winning streak.

Carlisle and Indiana are also hoping for another big game from Myles Turner. Turner scored 31 points and is averaging 20.4 points on 61.2 percent shooting in his past nine contests.

Rookie Bennedict Mathurin, who scored a career-high 32 at Brooklyn Oct. 29, added 21 but Indiana got little from its starting backcourt of Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith, who combined to go 5 of 24 from the floor.

NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings at Boston Celtics

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings at Boston Celtics

The NBA’s two winningest teams in November match up Friday night when the Sacramento Kings visit the Boston Celtics.

Nobody has won more often than the Celtics this month, who are 10-2 even after losing their first November game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Boston had a nine-game winning streak snapped Monday at Chicago but rebounded to thump the Dallas Mavericks 125-112 on Wednesday.

The Kings are coming off a 115-106 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday that ended a seven-game winning run. They’re now 8-3 in November, tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the second-most wins this month but having played one fewer game.

The matchup delivers Kings coach Mike Brown to the site of his championship-clinching win over the Celtics last June as Steve Kerr’s assistant with Golden State.

The return does not have pleasant memories for most Kings, however, as they were steamrolled by Jayson Tatum (36 points) and Jaylen Brown (30) in a 128-75 shellacking last January.

Tatum and Brown also ganged up on the Mavericks this week, with Tatum pouring in 37 points as part of a double-double with 13 rebounds, while Brown knocked down 13 of his 18 shots en route to 31 points.

The Kings can expect to see a different look from the Celtics than what they displayed during much of their November run after Derrick White’s return to the starting lineup Wednesday. Grant Williams went back to the bench.

White contributed 12 points to the win.

The only thing the Kings did differently at Atlanta on Wednesday was lose. On the second night of a back-to-back, they shot poorly from 3-point range (9 of 31) one game after scorching the Memphis Grizzlies for 15 made baskets from 3-point range in a 113-109 victory.

Reigning Western Conference Player of the Week De’Aaron Fox continued his nice run of late with 32 points for the Kings at Memphis, but was held to 18 at Atlanta. Malik Monk paced the Kings against the Hawks with 27 points.

Kings players give Mike Brown credit for the fast start by a team that’s missed the playoffs in 16 consecutive seasons.

Sacramento has yet to get much of an opportunity to introduce its new form to most of the NBA’s elite. The Kings have played just six games so far against teams with winning records, with Tuesday’s win over the Grizzlies being just their second within that group.

The Kings have played three games already against the defending champion Warriors, winning one, but Golden State is off to a 9-10 start.

NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks

The New York Knicks ventured out West to build their most successful road trip in more than eight years.

But the tests against teams from the opposite coast will continue during the Knicks’ brief stop home.

The Knicks will begin a two-game homestand Friday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers in the first meeting this season between the teams.

The Knicks have been off since Monday, when they concluded a five-game road trip by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-119. The Trail Blazers’ slump continued Wednesday, when they fell to the host Cleveland Cavaliers 114-96.

The win over the Thunder gave the Knicks a 3-2 record on their Western Conference trek. It was the most successful road trip of five games or longer for New York since it went 3-2 on a West Coast swing in March of 2014.

The victory provided a double dose of redemption for the Knicks, who were still steaming from a 145-135 loss to the Thunder at home on Nov. 13. The 145 points were the most surrendered by the Knicks under head coach Tom Thibodeau.

And while the Thunder finished with the fourth-worst record in the NBA last year and weren’t expected to contend this season, the Knicks’ wins earlier in the road trip over the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets proved they can compete against the better teams in the league.

The Knicks are 4-7 this season against teams that made the playoffs last season and will conclude the homestand Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, who edged New York 115-112 in overtime in the season opener on Oct. 19.

The Trail Blazers are hoping to derive some benefits from the back end of a four-game Eastern Conference road trip. Portland opened the season 9-3 but has lost four straight and five of six.

The Trail Blazers’ first four losses in this current stretch were by a combined 20 points before Wednesday’s lopsided loss, when the Cavaliers took the lead for good in the final minute of the first quarter and expanded their advantage to 20 points in the fourth quarter.

The Trail Blazers, who are slated to conclude their road trip by visiting the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, will play a third consecutive game Friday without Damian Lillard. The star point guard is expected to be out until at least the end of November due to a right calf strain.

NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves at Charlotte Hornets

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves at Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets aren’t at full strength and they’re far from a smooth operation.

So maybe it’s a degree of toughness that’s going to have to blossom in order for the team to have much success.

The Hornets haven’t won back-to-back games this season, but they’ll try to achieve that feat Friday when they face the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves have been rolling for more than a week, carrying a five-game winning streak into the contest after winning 115-101 on Wednesday night at Indiana. That’s as many victories as Charlotte has all season — and the longest active winning streak in the NBA.

It’s also taken just a week and a half for the Timberwolves to double their season’s win total from five to 10.

The Timberwolves had their best game of the season in Indianapolis, coach Chris Finch said.

The Hornets won a home game for just the second time by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 107-101 on Wednesday night. Still, Charlotte is 2-11 in its last 13 games overall.

Strange as it might sound, the Hornets needed to win in a close game rather than one in which they held a comfortable lead.

Rozier is the team’s leading scorer at 20.4 points per game. He had 22 points in the Philadelphia game despite not scoring in the first quarter.

Having Rozier back in the lineup is a welcome sight for the Hornets, as he missed time earlier in the season with an ankle injury. His presence is even more important now that backcourt mate LaMelo Ball is out with an ankle injury.

Clifford said there’s reason for concern about how the Hornets have attacked early in some games. That could be a bigger focus against the Timberwolves, who are tied for first in the NBA in first-quarter scoring.

The Hornets have struggled in transition, too. So, amid the adjustments to the lineup and wavering availability of some players, that’s something that the team wants to improve upon.

The Timberwolves are bound to be aware of that.

1...3,5213,5223,523...4,375Page 3,522 of 4,375

Contact us: info@sportsgamingjournal.com

* PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED AT THIS SITE IS FOR NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. ANY USE OF THIS INFORMATION IN VIOLATION OF ANY FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL LAWS IS PROHIBITED.

FOLLOW US

TODAY"S TOP CATEGORIES

© Copyright 2024, Sports Gaming Journal. All rights reserved.