Hornets at Nuggets
The Charlotte Hornets are heading back out on the road following a two-game homestand that showed off how good the team can be but also how terrible it can look when it's not at the top of its game. The Hornets will try to find some consistency when they begin a six-game trip by visiting the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
Charlotte opened its homestand by blasting the Orlando Magic 125-100 on Monday but did not look like the same team while getting blown off the floor in a 122-84 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. "(Dallas) came out extremely hot. They made, I think, 10 threes right out of the gate, so that affected us on the other end," Hornets coach James Borrego told reporters. "We started to hang our heads a little bit. We got a little bit frustrated defensively instead of just trusting what we do. That happens. Guys are going to make shots in this league. Teams are going to make shots. You just have to stay resilient. We just didn't have that same spirit tonight to get us through those tough stretches." The Western Conference-leading Nuggets are riding a four-game winning streak and are off to the best 36-game start in franchise history. "I think the reason why we're playing so well and winning at the level we're winning at is because guys truly care and love each other and that's really important for our locker room," Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Charlotte), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (18-19): Charlotte gave up 42 points in the first quarter on Wednesday and was down 65-41 at the half before finishing the game shooting 35.6 percent from the floor (6-of-32 from 3-point range). The Hornets at least managed to find a little rest time for star point guard Kemba Walker, who managed to lead the team with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting in 27 minutes while sitting out large chunks of the second half. "No one is coming in to save us," Borrego told reporters of his team, which is missing starters Cody Zeller (hand) and Jeremy Lamb (hamstring). "We have to save ourselves."
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (25-11): A big key to Denver's success this season in the maturation of point guard Jamal Murray, 21, who scored 34 of his 36 points in the second half on Thursday and added seven rebounds and six assists in the win. "My teammates had my back tonight," Murray told reporters. "Everybody came in, especially in the second half, and did a lot of great work and had a good night." Murray is forming a strong inside-outside connection with center Nikola Jokic, who added 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on Thursday after posting a 15-assist triple-double in a win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hornets PG Devonte' Graham made his first career start on Wednesday and scored 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting.
2. Nuggets SG Will Barton (groin) is practicing with the team and could return on Saturday after sitting out all but the first two games of the season.
3. Charlotte earned a 113-107 win over Denver at home on Dec. 7 behind 21 points and eight assists from Walker.