Nets at Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are suddenly unbeatable at the Spectrum Center and look to continue their home dominance while riding the momentum of their biggest victory of the season - literally and figuratively - when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Brooklyn, though, is loaded with confidence after snapping an 11-game losing streak with an eye-popping 143-114 victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans on Friday, scoring the second-most points in a regulation game in team history.
"We have a team coming in (Saturday) night that put 120 on us the last time we played them," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "It will be one of those nights that determine, you know, what kind of team we're going to be. We've got to find a way to come back with the same concentration level and same attention to detail." The Hornets made it eight victories in their last nine at home with a 113-78 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday for their first success in eight tries this season against the Eastern Conference's upper echelon - Cleveland, Toronto and Boston. Charlotte guard Kemba Walker continues to make a case to be named to his first All-Star game after recording 32 points and eight assists Friday, raising his season scoring average to 23.2 points. Brooklyn snapped a five-game slide in the series with a 120-118 victory Dec. 26 - its previous win before Friday - in the second of four meetings this season on reserve Randy Foye's 3-pointer at the buzzer.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE NETS (9-33): Brooklyn, which is 2-18 on the road, had eight players reach double figures Friday led by 23 points apiece from center Brook Lopez (team-high 20.4 points per game) and guard Bojan Bogdanovic (14.2 points). Forward Trevor Booker (10 points, 8.9 rebounds) and guard Sean Kilpatrick (14.2 points) were rested Friday and are expected to play Saturday with Kilpatrick missing his first game of the season. Brooklyn signed Quincy Acy to a second 10-day contract Friday and the forward responded with 12 points and eight rebounds - both season highs - in 22 minutes.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (22-21): Walker didn't play the fourth quarter Friday after shooting 11-for-16 from the field and 6-for-9 from 3-point range, telling reporters: "I got into one of them zones. I mean, it just feels like you can make any shot. I don't know, it's hard to explain.'' Second-year center Frank Kaminsky recorded 16 points and eight assists off the bench Friday and scored 27 over his last two games after totaling 12 in his previous two contests. Guard Nicolas Batum (15.0 points, team highs of 7.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists) averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the last four games since missing two contests with a knee injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets defeated Detroit 147-132 on April 17, 1982 to set a franchise record for points in a regulation game behind 52 points from the late Ray Williams.
2. Hornets G Jeremy Lamb (9.2 points) missed the last four games with a foot injury.
3. Charlotte won the season's first meeting 99-95 on Nov. 4 behind 30 points from Walker.