Charlotte Hornets bring extended win streak into NBA clash with new-look Atlanta Hawks
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Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (in blue) attempts to dunk against Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets during the Hornets' 109-99 road win on Feb 5.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ATLANTA – The Charlotte Hornets will put their eight-game winning streak in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the line on Feb 7 (Feb 8 morning, Singapore time) when they visit the new-look Atlanta Hawks.
The Hornets defeated the Houston Rockets 109-99 on Feb 5 to extend their run to the club’s longest since 1999, when they won nine in a row. It is also now the league’s longest active winning spell, after the New York Knicks had their eight-game streak snapped on Feb 6 by losing to the Detroit Pistons.
The streak has propelled Charlotte (24-28) into the play-off picture; they are currently tied with the Chicago Bulls for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and are trying to make the play-offs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
“We all understand there’s still a lot more work to be done, but it’s something the fans should be happy about,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said.
“They should see the progress that this team is making and that this group comes out every night and they want to compete for themselves and for the city.”
The Hornets have been driven by the heightened play of Brandon Miller, who leads the team at 20.4 points per game. They are also well balanced with LaMelo Ball (19.1), rookie Kon Knueppel (18.8) and veteran Miles Bridges (18.3) all hovering near the 20-ppg mark.
Charlotte are also one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league. They rank third in made three-pointers per game (15.2) and sixth in three-point percentage (37 per cent).
The team added Coby White (18.6 ppg) from Chicago at the trade deadline. But he is not expected to play until after the All-Star break because of an ailing right calf.
In the other camp, Atlanta (26-27) won their second straight game on Feb 5 by beating Utah 121-119, behind a career-high-tying 26 points from newcomer Jock Landale.
The roster was further revamped with the trade acquisitions of Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and Gabe Vincent. They join a team anchored by all-star Jalen Johnson (23.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game), who carded his 10th triple-double of the season against Utah, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is having a breakout season and averaging a career-high 20.4 points.
“It’s go time,” forward Corey Kispert said.
“The distractions are over. We have our roster moving forward for the rest of the year and it’s time to go. We’re really going to push for this thing and we’ve got a bunch of winners on our team, a bunch of guys who want to play hard and play for each other.”
The teams have split their first two meetings; Atlanta won 113-110 at home on Nov 23 and Charlotte won 133-126 at home on Dec 18. REUTERS
