Hornets at Kings
THE STORY: After losing Chris Paul to trade and David West in free agency, no one would have been surprised if the New Orleans Hornets had fallen to the bottom of the Western Conference. Instead, coach Monty Williams has the Hornets locking down on the defensive end and trying to outwork opponents to get wins. That plan worked wonders in the first two games, wins over the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics. But the Suns managed to go over 90 points in Friday’s rematch and the Hornets could not keep up, falling 93-79. New Orleans will try to coax some more offense out of its lineup when it visits the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Kings picked up a surprise win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday but have lost three straight since that victory. Unlike the Hornets, Sacramento has not been able to rely on its defense, allowing an average of 107.7 points in its three losses.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CST (New Orleans), CSCA (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (2-1): Eric Gordon - the main piece coming back in the Chris Paul trade - was supposed to take over as leading scorer but has missed the last two games with a bruised knee. That did not matter so much against a tired Boston team on Wednesday but New Orleans could have used Gordon on Friday, when it shot just 28.9 percent from the floor. The Suns, never known for their defense, had no trouble shutting down a Hornets team that had point guard Jarrett Jack hoisting up 20 shots.
ABOUT THE KINGS (1-3): Sacramento has the misfortune of beginning its season with seven straight games against playoff teams from last season. Saturday it was the New York Knicks, who raced past the Kings en route to a 114-92 win. Sacramento shot 35 percent in the setback, with first-round draft pick Jimmer Fredette going 2 of 10 from the floor. Fredette has as many assists (nine) as turnovers in his first four games.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Friday marked the worst shooting performance in the 24-year history of the Hornets franchise.
2. Gordon is day-to-day but New Orleans will proceed cautiously with its new franchise player.
3. New Orleans has taken four of the last five meetings.
PREDICTION: Hornets 88, Kings 83.