Hornets at Lakers
The Charlotte Hornets have a great chance to end their four-game road trip with a 2-2 mark when they visit the struggling Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Hornets got off to a great start on the trip with a thrilling double-overtime win in Sacramento but have been noncompetitive in dropping the last two games.
Charlotte got rocked 102-73 by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday and could not mount a fourth-quarter challenge in a 109-91 loss at Portland on Friday. Injury issues are mounting for the once-promising Hornets, with the backcourt the latest area of the roster to get hit hard. The Lakers, who own the worst record in the Western Conference, have provided a soft landing spot for plenty of clubs while losing nine straight games. Los Angeles is in danger of matching the club record for consecutive losses of 10, set at the end of the 1993-94 campaign.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (22-25): Charlotte took off earlier in the season with Al Jefferson in the middle and Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb and Jeremy Lin providing a potent quartet in the backcourt. Jefferson is down following knee surgery while Lamb (toe) has missed four games and Lin (ankle) sat out Friday and is day-to-day. Batum (toe) has returned after missing seven games this month but is still hobbled and managed three points on 1-of-11 shooting on Friday, leaving an overworked Walker as the lone healthy member of the quartet.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (9-40): Los Angeles is searching for anything to celebrate this season beside the Kobe Bryant retirement tour and got a boost from Julius Randle’s career-high 23 points and 14 rebounds on Friday. “He is just getting better and better,” Lakers coach Byron Scott told reporters of Randle. “He still has some things he has to continue to focus on, but I liked what I saw (Friday).” Randle moved back into the starting lineup over a week ago and is averaging 15.2 points and 11.2 boards in the last five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bryant (rest) sat out on Friday but is expected to play Sunday.
2. Hornets F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (shoulder) made his season debut on Friday and scored 13 points in 34 minutes.
3. Charlotte took the first meeting 108-98 on Dec. 28 behind 38 points from Walker and 11 assists from Batum.