The Charlotte Hornets traveled to Philadelphia to face-off against the 76ers Saturday night.
The Hornets’ offensive struggles continued, as they posted just 81 points on 34.5% shooting. The defense never seemed to string together enough stops to compensate for the horrid offensive performance. The Hornets’ lack of offense was the main cause of their loss, but let’s give Philadelphia’s defense some credit, as well as tip our hats to Robert Covington, who had 22 points on 7 of 15 shooting, including five three-pointers, he also added 8 rebounds to his box score. Hollis Thompson also played well, totaling 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting. The Hornets’ top performer was Al Jefferson, who finished with 18 points on 9 of 17 shooting, and nine rebounds. Many of the Hornets just couldn’t find nylon, as the box score shows droves of terrible shooting percentages including Gerald Henderson (5 of 17), Brian Roberts (2 of 12), Lance Stephenson (3 of 11), and Gary Neal (0 of 6). Nothing the Hornets tried offensively worked. Luc Mbah a Moute guarded Al Jefferson much of the time, allowing Nerlens Noel to be a help defender, and more effectively protect the rim.
The Hornets will have to bounce back quickly, as they take on the Indiana Pacers at home on Sunday at 6 PM. Look for the offense to take it’s time even more than it does, and for the shooters to test the waters, and see what the defense is giving them. A cautious start from the Hornets should be expected, as forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be out with a strained right hamstring.
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