Bobcats at Nets
THE STORY: At this point in the season, the Charlotte Bobcats are already focused on preparing for the future. On pace to finish with the league’s worst record, the Bobcats can only go up from here. A trip to New Jersey might not immediately help the cause. The Bobcats will try to avoid a four-game season sweep against the Nets when the teams meet up on Saturday night at the Prudential Center.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Carolinas, YES
ABOUT THE BOBCATS (7-38): The Bobcats haven’t just been losing regularly, they’ve been getting beat in resounding fashion. Charlotte has lost by 20 points or more on 15 occasions, including a 112-92 setback to Milwaukee on Friday. Gerald Henderson poured in a season-high 29 points and is averaging 17.8 ppg over his past five games. Starting point guard D.J. Augustin, meanwhile, has struggled to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting his previous two outings.
ABOUT THE NETS (15-34): New Jersey, which owns the fourth-worst mark in the NBA, has dropped five straight – mainly because of the team’s inability to score. The Nets are averaging 87.4 points in that span, most recently Friday’s 93-84 loss to Atlanta in which they blew a seven-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Deron Williams has already victimized Charlotte once this season, scoring a career-high 57 points against the Bobcats on Jan. 22.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Nets announced Friday that injured center Brook Lopez (ankle) would miss two more weeks before being reevaluated. He has appeared in only five games this season due to foot and ankle ailments.
2. Charlotte struggles in the paint, averaging just 39.4 rebounds per game – 29th in the NBA.