Charlotte Hornets: Finish Road Trip with Win
The Charlotte Hornets playoff run got a jolt when they ended their Western road trip with a win in LA.
The Charlotte Hornets proceeded the Carolina Panthers out west, but their own experience has been rather hit and miss. A victory over the Kings was accompanied by defeats to the Jazz and the Trailblazers and keeping the Hornets just out of striking distance in the playoff race. The team had been beat up and was looking at one final game, a matchup against the Kobe Bryant Lakers during a disasterous (9-41) campaign so far.
Things did not necessarily look that great going to this game either. While Jeremy Lin came back for limited action against his former team, mainstay Nicolas Batum was now resting on the bench in his place.
Still the Lakers were the 2015 Lakers, and despite Kobe Bryant’s personal performance, the Hornets were able to defeat the team with little problem at 101-82.
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One key player in that result was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, back for just his second game. After a good thirteen point performance in his first action back, the former Kentucky champ went for nineteen more and twelve rebounds. He was joined in those numbers by Marvin Williams, who had a second solid performance after his twenty point effort against Portland.
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Kemba Walker chipped in twelve points, but he is probably glad to see the road trip over. After his All-Star push where he averaged around thirty a game for a while, his production has dropped back down into the teens. Some rest at home would likely allow Walker to rev back up, because the team is going to need it.
The Hornets record is 23-25 right now and they are two games behind the Detroit Pistons for the eighth playoff spot. They are still without Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller, and Jeremy Lamb. Hopefully Batum’s injury to his toe is a temporary thing so that the Hornets can rely on the Frenchman during this second half push that they will need for the season.
LeBron James and Cleveland come to town on Wednesday.