Hornets at 76ers
Over the past month, the Atlanta Hawks are the only team in the NBA with a better record than the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets seek a fourth straight victory Saturday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers. Since Jan. 3, Charlotte is 12-3, behind Atlanta's 19-1 but ahead of Golden State (13-4), San Antonio (12-4) and Memphis (13-5).
Charlotte is 4-2 on a seven-game stretch in which five of the games have been on the road and is coming off two straight wins against Washington. “We want to come out against the best teams and compete at our best –
see where we’re at,” forward Gerald Henderson told the Charlotte Observer. “If we can
come out against a team like that, and beat them two times in a row,
that says something about our team.” Philadelphia fell behind by 26 in the second quarter before falling 107-96 to Boston on Friday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE HORNETS (22-27): Henderson scored 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting and Charlotte yielded just 33 second-half points in Thursday's 94-87 win over Washington, sweeping a home-and-home series. This will be the sixth game without point guard Kemba Walker (4-1), out after undergoing knee surgery. Brian Roberts has filled in by scoring 55 points on 19-of-50 shooting, 5-of-22 from the arc, with 23 assists against five turnovers — one in the last four games.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (11-40): Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored 18 points in the loss to Boston, and Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson added 16 points. "We fought all the way back," 76ers rookie guard Tim Frazier told reporters. "We battled. We wanted the win." Michael Carter-Williams sat out due to a big toe strain in his right foot and is doubtful for the Hornets, possibly providing rookie Tim Frazier with more playing time.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Frazier, who signed a 10-day contract prior to Friday's game, scored just five points off the bench on 2-of-9 shooting against Boston but handed out 11 assists in 35 minutes in his first pro game.
2. The Hornets have won five of the last six in the series after losing six in a row.
3. With the addition of Frazier, the 76ers have had 13 undrafted players on their roster this season, an NBA record.