The Hornets will aim to finish off the calendar year by picking up their 13th-straight regular season win over the Orlando Magic, who they’ll face tonight starting at 6 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center.
Charlotte beat the Magic on the road, 120-88, back on Oct. 19, which is tied for the team’s largest margin of victory over any opponent this season (32 points). Orlando has dropped four of five outings through Dec. 29, although is scheduled to kick off a back-to-back set at home against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon.
If the Hornets want to snag another win against their division rivals, they’ll likely need a strong showing from center Cody Zeller, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes in Orlando on Oct. 19. The IU product has reached double digits just once in his last seven appearances (6.6 PPG on 41.3 percent shooting, while also averaging 7.7 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.3 BPG) and had a career-high six turnovers in Saturday’s loss to Washington.
On the other side, look for much of the Magic offense to run through a dark-horse All-Star candidate in Nikola Vučević, a native of Montenegro who is quietly having a career season. The eighth-year vet is a physically gifted, all-around big man and one of just three NBA players averaging at least 20.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG per game this campaign (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis).
Vučević is also a very good (and improved) defender, currently ranking sixth in the NBA in defensive real plus-minus amongst centers (3.22; 2.50 in 2017-18). Zeller needs to take advantage of opportunities in the paint, while drawing Vučević away from the rim to open up the lane a bit for the Charlotte backcourt to drive and kick.
Game Note – Through Dec. 29, Orlando is ranked 27th in the NBA in both offensive rating (104.4) and pace (98.31 possessions per 48 minutes) and 28th in fast-break points per game (9.9). No team in the league averages fewer free-throw attempts per game either (18.3).
Classic Fact – Kemba Walker scored a franchise-record 35 second-half points in route to his first career 40-point game on Dec. 27, 2014 against the Orlando Magic (finished with 42). Walker tied this mark earlier this season with 35 in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 17.