Hornets at Pelicans
The former Hornets take on the current Hornets when Charlotte visits New Orleans on Tuesday. The original Charlotte Hornets took their nickname to New Orleans when the team moved in 2002 but finally found a more area-appropriate nickname last season, opening up the “Hornets” nickname to go back to its original city. Both teams feature exciting young rosters, but Charlotte is coming off back-to-back losses after narrowly squeezing out a win in the season opener.
The Pelicans are in the same boat with losses in back-to-back games following an opening win, and Anthony Davis finally looked like something less than the most dominant player in the Western Conference against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Davis was limited to 14 points and eight boards in the 93-81 setback and will be challenged again with Bobcats center Al Jefferson holding down the paint Tuesday. Charlotte ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring defense last season and is just as strong in 2014-15 with guard Lance Stephenson in the mix.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sports South (Charlotte), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE HORNETS (1-2): Stephenson signed a three-year, free-agent deal with Charlotte in the offseason and totaled nine points on 4-of-18 shooting in the first two games before bouncing back with nearly a triple-double (14 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) in a 96-93 loss at New York on Sunday. “I’m getting more comfortable now,” Stephenson told reporters. “I’ve just got to be more consistent.” Jefferson scored a season-high 21 points against the Knicks but has half as many turnovers (five) as rebounds (10) in the last two contests.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (1-2): Davis put up 28.5 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks in the first two games but had trouble with the big front line of the Grizzlies and had just one block in the loss. New Orleans relies on Davis and the outside shooting of Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, but Gordon is off to a terrible start with a total of 19 points on 7-of-28 shooting in the first three games while Anderson struggled to 2-of-14 on Monday. Tyreke Evans is picking up some of the slack with 21.5 points in the last two games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Charlotte F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (chest contusion) is day-to-day.
2. The Pelicans have taken four of the last five in the series, including a 105-84 thrashing in their home game last season.
3. New Orleans G/F John Salmons (personal) sat out Monday and is questionable for Tuesday.