Hornets at Pacers
The Charlotte Hornets and host Indiana Pacers can't afford a loss when
the struggling teams meet Friday. The Hornets have lost seven of 10
games and currently sit in the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference - two
games back of Brooklyn for the eighth and final playoff spot - and are 1
1/2 games south of Boston.
The Pacers, who have won just twice in their last 11 contests, are one-half game behind Charlotte. With games against Philadelphia and Miami to follow, the Hornets need these next three games because Charlotte plays Toronto twice, Atlanta and Houston within in its last five games. "Guys still feel good and are staying positive," forward Marvin Williams said. "Coach (Steve Clifford) is staying positive and encouraging guys who are playing through injuries. We're really trying to push ... and we think we can get there at the end of the day." Since winning 13 of 15 games and sitting in the seventh slot after a March 12 win versus Milwaukee, Indiana's staunch defense has yielded 100 points or more eight times in the last 11 having held opponents to under 90 in six of its previous seven games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, SportSouth (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (32-42): Williams scored 18 points and Kemba
Walker added all 17 of his points in the first half of a 102-78 rout of
Detroit on Wednesday. Charlotte played without forwards Michael
Kidd-Gilchrist (ankle) and Cody Zeller (shoulder) while big man Al
Jefferson played on a gimpy leg after having his right knee drained for
the third time in eight days. Nobody can question his toughness,"
Clifford told reporters. "We saw him struggling in pregame
and were thinking of shutting him down, but Al's committed to getting
this team into the playoffs and he'll do anything he can to get us
there."
ABOUT THE PACERS (32-43): Indiana fell to Brooklyn
on Tuesday before dropping a 100-87 decision to Boston the next night
despite 21 points from George Hill. "It's very frustrating. Everything
is on the line and we are just blowing it away and giving it away," Hill told reporters after the loss to the Celtics. "We got to figure out a way to get
it done ... but it's very frustrating." Hill, who averaged 19.4 points
and 4.9 assists while shooting 51.5 percent from the field in the month
of March, has been the Pacers' best player since the All-Star break.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Indiana has won two of three this season against Charlotte and 11 straight at home overall.
2.
This is the first of four games for the Pacers against opponents with
losing records before finishing the season at home against Oklahoma City
and Washington and then at Memphis.
3. Hornets G Lance
Stephenson, who signed a three-year free agent contract in the
offseason, hasn't played - coaches' decision - in the last two games.