- Charlotte Hornets (23-22) at Washington Wizards (16-28)
- Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 7 PM EST (Capital One Area)
- Fox Sports Southeast, FOX Sports GO App and WFNZ 610 AM or 102.5 FM
- Last time out: Hornets won, 119-97 on Feb. 7, 2021 in Charlotte
Hornets’ Defense Impresses Again in Late Loss to Phoenix
Charlotte almost pulled off another miraculous, last-second win against the Suns on Sunday afternoon, coming up a couple plays short in the 101-97 overtime loss. Struggling to score on their own end, the Hornets gave themselves a chance by holding the NBA’s eighth-ranked offense to a season-low 35.4% field-goal percentage, which included an 8-of-40 clip from three (20%). Following a three-game losing streak from March 17-20 in which the team allowed an average of more than 123.0 points per contest, Charlotte has gone 3-1 and most impressively, ranks sixth in the NBA in both defensive rating (106.1) and net rating (5.9) across this span.
Devonte’ Graham Stepping Up Big in Ball’s Absence
Having dealt with an injured-plagued February and now back in the starting lineup following LaMelo Ball’s wrist injury, Devonte’ Graham is coming off his best outing of the year against Phoenix, finishing with a season-high 30 points, including the team’s final eight of regulation. Across his past four outings, Graham is averaging 19.0 points on 49% shooting, 4.5 assists and has drained a combined 20-of-41 three-point attempts (48.8%). Although Charlotte struggled to hit shots against the Suns, Graham’s output was critical in still putting the team in position to win, particularly with fellow guard Malik Monk (right foot soreness) also sidelined.
Wizards Continuing to Ride Fast, Inconsistent Offense This Season
After racking up wins in seven of eight appearances from Feb. 14-27, the Wizards have since gone 3-10, with two of these victories have somewhat surprisingly come against the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz. Washington’s defense has been passable during this stretch, but the team is ranked 25th in offense (107.2), while playing at a league-high pace (105.62). When NBA leading-scorer Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook are in synch, things are generally rolling for the Wizards. Overall though, there’s just been too much up-and-down play from the rest of the roster, particularly at center following Thomas Bryant’s season-ending knee injury in January.
Preview Quote
“I think this team is showing it doesn’t matter who we’re stepping on the floor with. We’re going to compete, we’re going to fight. This game didn’t just happen by accident – we’ve been here all year. We’ve had a couple tough games this season, but in general, this has been who we are, no matter who we’re facing. We had guys missing again today, we keep going, we keep moving forward. To me, it’s about a mindset – next man up, resiliency, toughness. I can say that this team isn’t going anywhere.” – Coach Borrego after the team’s loss to Phoenix
Final Thoughts
Dropping a close one to the Western Conference’s second-ranked team was a tough pill to swallow, but how the Hornets continued to defend at a high level and compete until the final buzzer were certainly encouraging takeaways. Tonight’s game in Washington marks the beginning of the final real extended road trip of the season and picking up a fourth victory in five outings would be the perfect way to kick things off for Charlotte.
Additional Notes
F Dāvis Bertāns (right calf strain) and G Ish Smith (right quad strain) were out for Washington’s Monday night home game against Indiana. G Bradley Beal (right hip contusion) was listed as questionable… The Hornets are 8-4 against the Wizards since the start of the 2017-18 NBA campaign (lost both games in Washington last year)… Washington is 5-6 on the second leg of back-to-backs this season (11-22 with at least one day of rest)… This will be Charlotte’s first road game in the Eastern Time Zone since Feb. 1 at Miami.