Hornets at Thunder
The Charlotte Hornets have lost 10 consecutive times to Oklahoma City
and could use another huge night from point guard Kemba Walker when they
visit the Thunder on Wednesday. Walker set a franchise record with a
career-best 52-point effort Monday as the Hornets posted a 124-119
double-overtime victory over the Utah Jazz.
Walker is only of only four players to score 50 or more points in an NBA game this season and he slipped past the previous club mark of 48 set by Glen Rice in 1997. Walker scored 32 points against Oklahoma City earlier this month in a 109-90 home loss in a contest in which Thunder small forward Kevin Durant had 29 points and 11 rebounds. The Thunder have won five straight games and 20 of their last 24 after recording a 110-104 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. Oklahoma City has struggled against Eastern Conference foes, compiling a 9-8 mark compared to 22-4 versus the Western Conference.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE HORNETS (19-22): Walker got off to a hot start against Utah and power forward Marvin Williams told him he was going to score 50 points but Walker shrugged it off. Later on, Williams reminded Walker that he predicted the big outing and Walker could only agree but he said it didn't start sinking in that he scored more than 50 points until Tuesday. "I was just in the zone, really," Walker wrote on his blog on NBA.com. "I was feeling really good from the start of the game, hit my first couple shots and from that point on, I knew I would be rolling but had no idea I'd end up with 52 points."
ABOUT THE THUNDER (31-12): Durant (30 points, 12 rebounds) and point guard Russell Westbrook (27 points, 12 assists) had their customary big games in the win over Denver but backup center Enes Kanter stepped up with a season-best 25 points. Kanter was 10-of-14 shooting in a sharp turnaround from three consecutive subpar performances in which he averaged just 6.3 points. "Enes did a really good job," Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said afterward. "He was really active on the glass, he got a lot of offensive rebounds, he kept possessions alive, he scored, he did a lot of really good things."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Hornets have lost in seven consecutive visits to Oklahoma City.
2. Thunder backup PG Cameron Payne missed all nine of his shots against Denver and is scoreless on 0-of-12 shooting in the past two games.
3. Charlotte F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (shoulder) has been cleared for full contact in practices, but there remains no timetable for his return.