By Sam Perley, hornets.com
Tune InThese games can be seen on FOX SportSouth and can be heard on WFNZ or the Official Charlotte Hornets app.
Key Matchup vs. Kings: Al Jefferson vs. DeMarcus Cousins
The Hornets’ battle with the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night in Charlotte will pit two of the best true centers in the league against each other when Al Jefferson squares off against All-Star DeMarcus Cousins… Jefferson has been on a tear for the Hornets in the month of March, averaging 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals in his last six games… Since the All-Star Break, Jefferson is ranked third amongst centers in points (17.5) and 10th in rebounding (10.2), both categories in which he was ranked in the top four at his position in the second half of the 2013-14 NBA season… With the impending return of Kemba Walker sitting on the horizon for Charlotte, look for Jefferson to keep up his stellar play in the second half of the season as he’ll have a challenging matchup on his hands with Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins… Despite a career year from Cousins, who is averaging 23.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists this season for the Kings, Sacramento is on their way to missing the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season as they have once again failed to surround their fifth-year All-Star center with much talent… Coming off a brief two-game absence from Feb. 27- Mar. 1 because of hip and ankle injuries, Cousins is averaging 20.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists over his last five games for the Kings, who have lost four in a row… Cousins is well known in the NBA for how emotional and sometimes aggressive he plays, which at times has gotten the former Kentucky Wildcat into trouble as he as fouled out of nine games this season and is on his way to posting his fifth-straight season of double-digit technical fouls… Jefferson’s ability to shut down Cousins offensively and potentially rattle the Kings center enough to force him to the sidelines could be a key factor in the Hornets making it three straight wins over the Sacramento Kings
Scouting the Hornets (28-34)
Charlotte had their season-high five-game winning streak snapped on Monday, Mar. 9 after a 95-69 loss to the Washington Wizards… Mo Williams led the Hornets with team highs in both points (19) and assists (7)… Al Jefferson (14) and Lance Stephenson (12) were the only other Hornets to score in double figures… Bismack Biyombo pulled down a team-high nine rebounds… Earlier in the day, Mo Williams was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from Mar. 2-8. Williams also won this award earlier this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves for games played for the week of Jan. 12-18, becoming the first player to win the award in both conferences in the same season since the award was split into two conferences during the 2000-01 season… Williams is also one of four players in the NBA ranked in the top 10 in both points and assists since the All-Star Break. The other three players are Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and James Harden… Al Jefferson has scored in double figures while shooting better than 40.0% in eight consecutive games. Jefferson has also posted doubles-doubles in three of his last six games… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has posted double-digit scoring performances in eight of Charlotte’s 10 games since the All-Star Break. During this stretch, Kidd-Gilchrist also posted five double-doubles… Gerald Henderson is averaging 13.9 points and 2.8 assists over his last eight games, which included a career-high-tying nine assists against Detroit on Mar. 8… Cody Zeller scored in double figures in a career-high six consecutive games from Feb. 27- Mar. 8. before having his streak snapped on Mar. 9 against Washington after he left the game in the first quarter with a strained right shoulder. Zeller is considered questionable to play against Sacramento on Mar. 11… Lance Stephenson has shot at least 40.0% from the field in a season-best five consecutive games while averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists during this stretch… Charlotte is ranked sixth in the NBA in points allowed (96.8) and 10th in rebounding (44.1)… The Hornets are ranked first in the NBA in offensive rebounds surrendered (8.7), defensive rebounding percentage (79.6%) and turnovers surrendered (11.3)… Charlotte is 16-8 all-time at home against the Sacramento Kings… Kemba Walker was cleared to practice for the first time on Mar. 4 after being sidelined following surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 28. Walker is considered questionable to play against Sacramento on Mar. 11.
Scouting the Kings (21-41)
Sacramento travels to Charlotte for their sixth stop on a franchise-record-long eight-game road trip… The Kings fell to the Hornets, 113-103, in their most recent meeting on Jan. 4, 2014 in Sacramento… DeMarcus Cousins was one of three Sacramento players to finish with a double-double, notching 26 points, 11 rebounds and four steals in the loss… Jason Thompson tacked on 15 points and a team-high 14 rebounds while Rudy Gay tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings… Kemba Walker recorded team highs in points (30) and assists (6) as Charlotte used a 65-point first half to pull away from Sacramento early… Al Jefferson (27), Gerald Henderson (16), Ramon Sessions (12) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (10) also finished in double figures for Charlotte… After starting the season 11-13, the Kings fired second-year head coach Mike Malone on Dec. 15. Tyrone Corbin was promoted to interim coach and went 7-21 before being replaced on Feb. 12 by current head coach, George Karl who has gone 3-7 since Feb. 20… DeMarcus Cousins is tied for third in the NBA in rebounding (12.1) and sixth in scoring (23.4), both of which are career highs. Cousins is also second in the NBA in double-doubles (38), tied for the league lead in both turnovers (4.3) and personal fouls (4.1) and is also tied for sixth in technical fouls (9)… Rudy Gay is second in the NBA amongst small forwards in scoring (20.5) and ninth in rebounding (5.9). Gay is also sixth overall in the NBA in scoring (23.5) since the All-Star Break… Ben McLemore is the only other active Sacramento player averaging double figures (11.9)… Darren Collison will not play against Charlotte after undergoing hip surgery on Mar. 3. Collison was the Kings third-leading scorer at 16.1 points and has not played since Feb. 5… Despite shooting 44.2% from three-point range in his final season at the University of Michigan, rookie Nik Stauskas, who was picked eighth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, is ranked second to last amongst qualified rookies in three-point percentage (29.4%)… Ray McCallum is averaging 11.5 points and 4.2 assists over his last 10 games as the Kings’ starting point guard after Sacramento traded Ramon Sessions to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 19 in exchange for Andre Miller… Sacramento is eighth in the NBA in rebounding (44.7), 28th in points allowed (105.1) and last in the NBA in assists (19.6)… Omri Casspi and Troy Daniels were teammates on the Houston Rockets for part of the 2013-14 season… Reggie Evans and Mo Williams were teammates on the Los Angeles Clippers from 2011-12… Ryan Hollins was drafted by Charlotte and played for the team from 2006-09. Hollins also played with Mo Williams on the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2010-11 season.