NETS VS. HORNETS:
After a rousing 109-98 win over the Knicks on Friday night, the Brooklyn Nets look to carry that momentum into a Sunday evening tilt with the Charlotte Hornets. The Nets have won three of their last five games, alternating wins and losses.
The Nets lost their first trip to Charlotte this season, falling 116-111 on Nov. 18. Starting Sunday, the teams play three times before the end of the season.
BROOK LOPEZ:
Brook Lopez came out of the All-Star break strong, scoring 33 points (13-of-23) with eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists and a steal on Friday night vs. the Knicks. Playing against his twin brother, Robin, Lopez’s 33 points tied a season high (he scored 33 on Jan. 30 vs. New Orleans). Friday marked the big man’s fourth 30-point game this season. Lopez is averaging 22.9 ppg this month (seven games).
BOOYAH! BOGDANOVIC SCORING THREE’S:
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 points for the Nets on Friday, his third straight game with double digits. The Croatian shooting guard is making a living off three-pointers, draining 4-of-5 on Friday, hitting 15 of his last 23 (.652). Bogdanovic is averaging 12.3 ppg in February and represented the Nets at the Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
HORNETS BUZZING:
At 28-26, the Charlotte Hornets are holding down the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. In the middle of a playoff push, they’re finding their game at the right time.
The Hornets have won four straight and six of their last seven, including wins over Cleveland, Chicago and Indiana, all playoff-bound teams. The Hornets have kept their playoff bid alive, despite a host of injuries. Al Jefferson missed 23 straight games prior to returning – off the bench – on Friday and has only played three total games since the start of December.
Spencer Hawes (lower-back strain) is expected to miss Sunday’s game. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (labrum tear) will miss the rest of the season. He suffered the injury on Feb. 10 and underwent successful surgery on Wednesday.
Kemba Walker has stepped up for the Hornets, averaging a career-high 20.6 ppg, but has been especially hot of late, averaging 25 points in his last 13 games. He hit that mark on Friday, scoring 25 in Charlotte’s 98-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nicolas Batum – who had 24 points vs. the Nets earlier this season – is also doing his part, averaging 14.7 ppg and a team-high 5.5 apg.
COURTNEY LEE TO MAKE HORNET’S DEBUT
In their effort to make the playoffs, the Hornets acquired Courtney Lee from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for P.J. Hairston. The shooting guard is a good shooter, averaging 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from deep. Lee, who had a career-year with the Nets in 2009-10, is averaging 10 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists-per-game this season. In an interesting set of circumstances, Lee will play the Nets for a second straight game, albeit with a different team.