Hornets at Rockets
THE STORY: Instead of charging into the playoffs, the Houston Rockets will limp into the offseason to ponder what might have been. They are 1-7 in their last eight games and will miss the playoffs for a third straight season. They host a New Orleans team Thursday that has beaten them in eight of the past 10 meetings. The Hornets earned a dramatic 83-81 victory at Golden State on Tuesday when Marco Belinelli scored on a goaltending call with 1.5 seconds left.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CST (Hornets), FS Houston (Rockets)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (21-44): Despite being out of the playoff chase for a while, the Hornets have still givenn an effort, winning six of their last eight games. “I think it's important to win,” said Belinelli, who had a game-high 23 points. “I don't care if it's one or two more games in the season, lottery pick, I don't care. I just want to get a win. That's the mentality we need to have.” Hornets coach Monty Williams said point guard Eric Gordon will sit out the season finale to rest his back.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (33-32): Houston will finish no worse than .500 but that is little consolation to a team that appeared to be making a run to the playoffs in the last month. “Failure is a horrible word, I don't like it and I don't consider it a failure,” Luis Scola said. “Our goal was to make the playoffs and we are hurt because we couldn't qualify. But a failure? No, I don't see it that way.” Kyle Lowry (sports hernia) and Kevin Martin (shoulder) will not play Thursday.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Hornets’ comeback against the Warriors was just their fourth in 37 games when they trailed after three quarters this season.
2. Trailing should not discourage either team. The winning team has overcome a deficit of at least 13 points in four of the last five meetings.
3. Since scoring a career-high 24 points last week against Memphis, Hornets point guard Jerome Dyson has registered just 12 points combined in his past three games.