- Charlotte Hornets (14-15) at Utah Jazz (24-6)
- Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 at 9 PM EST (Vivint Arena)
- Fox Sports Southeast, FOX Sports GO App and WFNZ 610 AM or 102.5 FM
- Last time out: Jazz won, 138-121 on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 in Charlotte
Charlotte Embarks on 6-Game Voyage to Wrap Up First-Half Schedule
Perhaps the most grueling stretch of the season begins for the Hornets tonight as they kick off a six-game, All-Western Conference road trip against the NBA’s top team in the Utah Jazz. This journey will also include matchups with the much-improved Phoenix Suns (11-2 in their last 13 games), a Golden State squad looking for revenge following Saturday’s stunning loss at Spectrum Center and the always-formidable Portland Trail Blazers (8-2 in their last 10 games). Picking up a handful of road victories over the next 10 days would be a great way for the Hornets to close out their first-half schedule heading into the All-Star Break.
Terry Rozier Continues His Torrid Tear for Hornets
The Charlotte guard had his most memorable performance of the season to date on Saturday night, finishing with a game-high 36 points and knocking down his first career NBA buzzer-beater to down the Warriors, 102-100. Rozier, who finished with 20 fourth-quarter points including the team’s final 10 in the contest, is averaging a ridiculous 36.0 points on 60% shooting and 59% from three over his past four appearances. Safe to say, the sixth-year veteran is playing the best basketball of his career right now and will look to keep things going in Utah.
Keep a Watchful Eye on the Jazz’s Corner 3-Point Attempts
A major reason why Utah currently owns the NBA’s top record this season has been its dynamic three-point shooting. Through Feb. 20, the Jazz rank first in the league in three-pointers made per game (16.5), fourth in percentage (39.2%) and also canned 26-of-50 such attempts against the Hornets back on Feb. 5, the most ever by any Charlotte opponent. Look for the drive-and-kick action to the corners to be a major focal area for the Hornets after Utah knocked down 10-of-17 shots from the sweet spot in their first go-around (59%).
Preview Quote
“I think that with this team, you can continue to use the resiliency term. This team continues to fight and claw, no matter the score. Whether we’re down big, we continue to fight. We never give in and it’s a resilient group. We’ve been there all year, nobody’s given in. We looked like we’d been off for six days, but we kept fighting, we kept grinding, we never dropped the sword, we never gave in and we found ourselves a victory tonight.” – Head Coach James Borrego following Saturday’s win over Golden State
Final Thoughts
Their homestand finale victory over the Warriors was just the latest example of the Hornets continuing to showcase tremendous fortitude and grit time and time again this season. Those attributes and never-say-die attitude will be tested greatly over the next six games as the team prepares for a gauntlet of tough contests out west.
Additional Notes
G Devonte’ Graham (left knee patella femoral discomfort) did not play on Saturday night for Charlotte. G Caleb Martin (Health and Safety Protocols) has missed the team’s last three games… The Hornets have dropped six straight to the Jazz and have not won in Utah since March 1, 2006 (13 consecutive losses)… After starting the season 4-4, Utah is 20-2 since Jan. 6. The team’s most recent outing ended in a 116-112 road loss to the LA Clippers on Friday, Feb. 19, which snapped a nine-game winning streak.