By Matt Gorry, hornets.com
Tune In
This game can be seen on FOX SportSouth and can be heard on WFNZ, the Hornets official app or by clicking on one of the links below.
LISTEN TO WFNZ BROADCAST LIVE: QuickTime | Windows Media Player | iTunes | Real Player
Key Matchup vs. 76ers: Al Jefferson vs. Nerlens Noel
All eyes will be in the paint in Philly on Friday as big men Al Jefferson and Nerlens Noel square off for the second time this season… Big Al, an All-NBA third teamer last season, has not lost a step in his second season in Buzz City, leading the team with 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds through 25 games. Jefferson has reached double figures in 13 of the past 14 contests, including six games with over 20 points… Jefferson will be battling in the paint with rookie Nerlens Noel. The former sixth overall selection out of Kentucky is learning his way in the league after sitting out the entire 2013-14 season with a leg injury and is averaging 8.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks through his first 21 games of his career… Noel will have his work cut out for him against a stingy veteran like Big Al.
Key Matchup vs. Jazz: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vs. Gordon Hayward
The Hornets will get an up-close look at a what-could-have-been free agent signing with Gordon Hayward and the Jazz head to the Queen City… Hayward, who had agreed to sign with Charlotte during the offseason before Utah matched the offer sheet, is emerging as a star in the league. He is averaging a team-high 19.1 points along with 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals through 26 games… Tasked with slowing him down is Charlotte’s top defender, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. MKG is still looking to find his bearings offensively after missing 12 games with a nagging foot injury but remains a shutdown defender. The former second overall pick is scoring 8.9 points and grabbing 5.1 boards in 11 games… The pivotal matchup between Hayward and Kidd-Gilchrist will determine who comes out on top.
Key Matchup vs. Nuggets: Kemba Walker vs. Ty Lawson
Denver’s shifty point guard Ty Lawson made a name for himself with the Tar Heels down the road in Chapel Hill, leading UNC to a national title in 2009. If he wants to repeat that success when he leads the Nuggets into Charlotte, he’ll have to go through Kemba Walker… Walker has been dynamic in his fourth year while scoring 15.8 points through the first 25 games, hitting double figures 14 times in his last 15 games and 22 times this season, to go with a team-high 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals… Lawson has been just as valuable in Denver, leading the team in points (15.4), assists (10.6) and steals (1.5) while playing 37 minutes a night. Lawson’s 10.6 assists average puts him in a tie for second in the NBA with Washington’s John Wall, just behind Boston’s Rajon Rondo’s 10.8 average… Whichever floor general can win the matchup and generate the best looks will give his team the best shot.
Scouting the Hornets (6-19)
Phoenix ran the Hornets latest skid to four games with a 17-point come-from-behind victory Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena. Despite 55 points from Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, Charlotte could not hold off the Suns, who stormed back and held on for the wild 111-106 victory. After a brief two-game winning streak, the Hornets have dropped four in a row and continue a tough start to the season where they’ve lost 14 of 16 to fall to 6-19 on the year… Jefferson and Walker have been bright spots for Charlotte all season… Big Al Jefferson scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Suns, recording his eighth double-double of the season. He has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 14 games, including six games with 20 points or more… Walker scored 27 points against Phoenix, hitting 20 or more points for the third time in his last four games. Walker is averaging 22.5 points on .472 shooting from the field (34-72), including .476 from beyond the three-point line (10-21), during the four-game stretch. Walker has scored in double figures in 14 of the last 15 games and in 22 of the 25 games played this season… The Hornets only had seven turnovers on Wednesday and have had seven turnovers or less in eight of their last 14 games. They are committing the fewest turnovers in the league (11.0)… The Hornets have limited their opponents to six or fewer offensive rebounds in five of their last eight games and in nine of the 25 games played this season. The Hornets head into Philly allowing the fewest offensive rebounds in the league (8.1) and lead the NBA in defensive rebound percentage (.798)… Charlotte has played in 14 games this season decided by seven points or less. Over the past two seasons, Charlotte has had 53 games decided by seven points or less, tied for the second-most in the NBA.
Scouting the 76ers (2-22)
After ending an 0-17 start to the season with a win against Minnesota, the 76ers have lost four in a row heading into a matchup with the Hornets. In their last outing, Philly was no match for Kelly Olynyk (career-high 30 points) and the Celtics, falling 105-87 at home. Nerlens Noel powered the Sixers with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go with eight boards, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Michael Carter-Williams and Robert Covington added 13 points apiece as Philly fell to an NBA-worst 2-22 on the season… Charlotte has won four of the past five games in the series, including sweeping both matchups at Time Warner Cable Arena, scoring 100+ points in three of those four games... Ronald Roberts was the 11th undrafted player to be part of the Sixers roster this season (Robert Covington, Brandon
Davies, Drew Gordon, Jorge Gutierrez, Chris Johnson, JaKarr Sampson, Alexey Shved, Henry Sims, Malcolm Thomas, Hollis Thompson). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the single season record for the most undrafted players to be on a team’s roster over the course of a single season… Michael Carter-Williams has recorded at least six rebounds and five assists in each of the past 10 games. Dating back to 2009-10, LeBron James (four times) is the only player with a streak that long… The Sixers are 0-13 at home this season, sitting six home losses away from the NBA record (Dallas Mavericks, 1993-94)… Over the past four games, the Sixers have 80 assists with 82 turnovers. Philly is averaging 18.8 turnovers this season and has committed 20+ turnovers nine times… The Hornets and Sixers squared off in the preseason opener in October with Philly battling for the 106-92 victory at home. Noel had 10 points, nine boards and three blocks for Philadelphia, while Gary Neal’s 14 points led Charlotte.
Scouting the Jazz (7-19)
Utah won for just the second time in its last 14 games Wednesday against the Heat, blowing out Miami, 105-87, to improve to 7-19 on the year. Despite Dwyane Wade’s 42-point outburst, five Jazz players scored in double figures to lead Utah. Gordon Hayward poured in a team-high 29 points with seven assists and six rebounds. Enes Kanter finished with 18 points and six boards in the paint. Alec Burks added 12 points and four assists. Derrick Favors scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. Rookie first-rounder Dante Exum shot 4-of-5 from the floor for 10 points to round out the scorers… The Jazz began their annual pre-Christmas road trip on December 14. The team will be traveling 5,975 miles in a span of nine days, playing six games, the most on the pre-Christmas road trip since 2003… Enes Kanter scored a career-high 29 points at New Orleans on December 16. His 52.6 FG percentage is ranked 10th in the NBA among starting centers, and 18th overall… In the first two games of this six game road trip, Trey Burke has averaged 10.5 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-3 from long range in the opening period… Gordon Hayward put up one of the better scoring months in recent Jazz memory. Hayward has scored 30+ points in four games and leads the Jazz with 19.4 points per contest and posted 20.2 a game in the month of November… Utah continues to build through the draft, selecting G Dante Exum (fifth overall) and F Rodney Hood (23rd overall) in the 2014 NBA Draft, while picking up a 2016 second-round pick in exchange for the rights to F Jarnell Stokes (35th overall)… During a busy offseason, the Jazz retained the services of restricted free agent G/F Gordon Hayward by matching Charlotte’s offer sheet.
Scouting the Nuggets (10-15)
Hitting the bulk of their tough schedule against playoff teams, Denver has dropped seven of its last eight games to fall to 10-15… Facing off with Houston for the second time in four days, the Nuggets sent the game to overtime on a last-second 3-pointer by Arron Afflalo before falling to James Harden (41 points) and the Rockets, 115-111. Afflalo (22 points) and Wilson Chandler (23) teamed up for 45 points and shot a combined 47 percent (8-of-17) from deep to lead Denver offensively. Ty Lawson had a monster game with 12 points while matching a season-high in assists with 16… Lawson is off to a hot start this season, averaging 15.6 points, a career-high 10.3 assists and 1.50 steals in 37.0 minutes. He has registered 12 double-doubles this season, including a seven in a row… Wilson Chandler has been a consistent figure not only in the Nuggets starting lineup, but also in his production throughout the 2014-15 season. Chandler has scored in double-figures in 20 of 24 games this year and is averaging 14.5 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 44% from the field, 39% from three and 83% from the free throw line… Center JaVale McGee made good use of his time on the court against the Kings on Nov. 3, recording a team-high 16 points to go with four rebounds in four blocks in 14 minutes, becoming the only player in NBA history to record 16+ points, 4+ rebounds and 4+ blocks in 14 minutes-or-fewer since the league began tracking stats in 1974-75.