Key Matchup vs. Houston Rockets: Kemba Walker vs. James Harden
By Sam Perley, hornets.com
Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets will look to snap a three-game road slide when they make their lone visit to Houston this season to take on James Harden and the Rockets on Tuesday night. The sixth-year point guard Walker has thrived since the start of the new calendar year, averaging 26.0 points on 51.4 percent shooting (52.0 percent from three-point range), 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steals over his last four games. Walker is also one of just two players in the Eastern Conference this season with at least 100 overall made three-pointers (Toronto’s Kyle Lowry).
The Hornets could be in for a shootout against the hometown Rockets with Harden at the forefront of the NBA’s second-highest scoring team (114.6 points). Now in his eighth NBA season, the former Arizona State Sun Devil is currently third in the NBA in scoring (28.2 points), second in rebounding amongst guards (8.2) and first overall in assists (11.8). Harden has also racked up a career-high 10 triple-doubles already this year, surpassing his total from the previous seven seasons combined.
Currently holding an 11-game road losing streak against the Rockets, Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets will need to be extremely attentive to MVP candidate James Harden if they want to pick up a big win in Houston on Tuesday night.
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