Cavaliers at Hornets
All-Star guard Kemba Walker looks to snap out of a shooting slump and his Charlotte Hornets will try to improve on the other side of the court when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Walker scored a season-low four points in Saturday’s 128-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and is shooting 32.2 percent in seven games this month while making just 15-of-59 from 3-point range.
“He’s had a couple of nights where he has struggled shooting the ball but he’ll continue to shoot. We trust him,” Charlotte coach James Borrego told reporters. “His confidence is still there. I think he’ll kick it back into gear real soon. He’s having to work a lot out there.” The Hornets gave up an average of 127 points the last two games - both losses - after winning three in a row and face a Cleveland team that is near the bottom of the league in scoring, but is coming off a road victory. Larry Nance Jr.’s tip-in just before the final buzzer gave the Cavaliers a 92-91 victory at Indiana on Tuesday - just their third in 14 games away from home this season - to open a three-game road trip. Guard Jordan Clarkson, who averages 16.7 points to lead the team among active players, missed the game for Cleveland to rest a minor back injury and his status for Wednesday’s contest is uncertain.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (8-23): Shooting guard Rodney Hood is averaging 18 points - almost five above his season mark - on 53.1 percent shooting in the last four games after pouring in 17 on Tuesday. Nance finished with 15 points and hauled in a career-high 16 rebounds - grabbing double-figure caroms for the third time in four games - while rookie Collin Sexton (15.2 points per contest) reached double figures in scoring for the 20th time in 21 games. Guard Matthew Dellavedova has scored at least 10 points in all five games since being acquired, connecting on 11-of-21 from 3-point range.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (14-15): Rookie forward Miles Bridges picked up some of the slack for Walker on Saturday by scoring a season-high 17 points after managing 19 combined in his previous four outings. Walker leads the team at 24.9 points per game and Jeremy Lamb (15.0) is the only other player with 11 or more while guard Malik Monk averages 10.6 points after scoring 19 in the loss against the Lakers and is 10-of-23 from 3-point range the last five contests. Veteran point guard Tony Parker has combined for six points in the past two games after averaging 17 over the previous three contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cleveland G Alec Burks is averaging 11 points in 11 games since coming over in a trade from Utah.
2. Charlotte C Cody Zeller is averaging 13.3 points while connecting on 22-of-31 from the field the last four contests.
3. The teams have each rolled to easy wins at home in the first two meetings this season.