By Sam Perley
The Hornets will conclude their season-long five-game homestand against the same team they opened with as they face the Pistons once again, which tips off tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
Thanks to a Jeremy Lamb last-second jumper that capped off a double-digit fourth-quarter comeback, Charlotte won a one-point affair last Wednesday against Detroit. The Hornets held the visitors to just 14 points in the final frame, a stretch that Head Coach James Borrego referenced as one of the best of the season for his team.
Lamb is coming off another fine performance after finishing with 18 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and five assists on Wednesday against Cleveland. The veteran has been simply outstanding as a first-year starter with 15.1 points scored per contest, while also ranking first amongst all NBA two-guards in rebounding this season as well (5.8).
Defensively, he’ll have a tough assignment in this one going up against the red-hot Reggie Bullock, who is also in the midst of an impressive campaign. Bullock didn’t play in the Dec. 12 game, but did score a then career-high 23 points against Charlotte on Nov. 11, a mark he topped by 10 with a 33-point game in Minnesota on Wednesday night.
The Kinston, North Carolina native is averaging 24.0 points and shooting 55.2 from three over his last three outings and appears more than fully recovered from his recent ankle injury. Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond draw attention to the paint, meaning Lamb and the Charlotte wings need to be mindful of catch-and-shoot and spot-opportunities for the streaking Bullock.
Game Note – Despite Bullock’s success this season, the Pistons currently own the third-lowest three-point percentage through Dec. 19 (33.0 percent). Charlotte ranks 11th in the NBA in this category at 35.6 percent.
Classic Fact – Charlotte beat the Detroit Pistons, 93-85, on April 11, 1997, notching their franchise-record-breaking 51st win of the season. The Hornets finished the campaign with a 54-28 mark, which is still the best in team history.