Bobcats at Nets
THE STORY: One of only three teams left in the NBA with three wins or less, the Charlotte Bobcats will have as good a shot as ever to secure victory No. 4 when they visit the New Jersey Nets on Sunday. The Bobcats sit at the bottom of the NBA in points allowed, just behind the Nets. Coach Paul Silas has been experimenting with different lineups lately and has gone with rookie Kemba Walker and D.J. Augustin in an undersized starting backcourt in the last four games. That moves Gerald Henderson over to the small forward position, where he has put up 21.8 points in the last four games. Trying to stop the small lineup will be a New Jersey team that snapped a string of seven straight games of allowing 100 points or more on Saturday. The Nets still dropped an 84-74 decision, but at least they got a few stops.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, SSO (Charlotte), YES (New Jersey)
ABOUT THE BOBCATS (3-13): A loser of three straight, Charlotte has had the misfortune of playing two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference - the Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bulls - in its past two games. Even missing four key players, the Bulls were able to run up 95 points against the Bobcats on Saturday. While the smaller lineup provides some versatility, it leaves post players like Boris Diaw and Bismack Biyombo on the bench for long stretches.
ABOUT THE NETS (4-12): New Jersey’s woes have not all been at the defensive end, as the team is waiting for star Deron Williams to find his shooting stroke. Currently struggling at a 36.4 percent clip, Williams is also turning the ball over at a career-high rate. He also made the news on Friday when a story revealed that he might opt out of his contract after the season if the Nets don’t get center Dwight Howard. Williams denied the story on Saturday, but stopped short of declaring an intention to re-sign.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Bobcats have taken four of the last five in the series, including three straight in New Jersey.
2. Nets F Damion James will have surgery on his right foot soon and is out indefinitely.
3. Walker averaged 17.3 points in his first three games as a starter, but slumped to four on Saturday.