Bucks at Hornets
The Milwaukee Bucks look to turn their fortunes around when they hit the road to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The Bucks have dropped three of their last four games - including a 90-85 setback to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday after beating them by 30 the night before - and hope to end the Hornets' recent dominance in the series. Milwaukee has lost seven straight games to Charlotte, with two defeats coming by a combined nine points this season and two of the last four decided in overtime.
The Hornets were riding a season-best four-game winning streak before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic on consecutive nights. Charlotte hopes to avoid its fourth losing streak of three games or more this season by beating the Bucks for the fifth consecutive time on its home court. "In this league you have to play well every night," coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "Especially with a team like us who has good enough talent but certainly no better than that."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV
ABOUT THE BUCKS (15-16): Khris Middleton came off the bench to match his season high with 21 points in the loss to the Hawks after being limited to two points on 1-of-7 shooting in his previous game. Zaza Pachulia pulled down a season-best 15 rebounds to go along with 11 points versus Atlanta. Larry Sanders (illness) and Ersan Ilyasova (concussion) missed their second game in a row and are questionable for Monday's contest.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (10-21): Kemba Walker poured in a Charlotte record 35 of his career-high 42 points in the second half versus the Magic and finished six points shy of Glen Rice's franchise-best 48 on Mar. 6, 1997. Al Jefferson added 14 points and nine rebounds as only two players scored in double figures in the 102-94 setback to Orlando. Lance Stephenson will miss his seventh straight game with a pelvic injury, but the Hornets have coped fairly well, going 4-2 in his absence.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Hornets have beaten the Bucks in 10 of their last 11 home games.
2. Milwaukee has topped the 100-point mark in four of its last five outings.
3. Charlotte has won three of its last four games at Time Warner Cable Arena.