The Charlotte Hornets have made some big strides lately to put themselves in position for a postseason spot.
So they can’t afford to miss the opportunity presented to them Tuesday night when the lowly Sacramento Kings visit.
“There is no guarantees,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “It doesn’t matter what the outside noise and expectations may be. That’s why you’ve got to go out, you’ve got to execute. You have to have the appropriate respect for your opponent.”
The Hornets are 3-0 on a seven-game homestand. Their last game was Saturday night’s 124-101 trouncing of the Memphis Grizzlies, their third straight romp by at least a 19-point margin.
Charlotte (37-34) has won five of its last six games, with nearly double the number of victories this season held by the Kings (19-53). With 11 games left, the game against Sacramento will be one of three remaining outings against teams with sub-.500 records for the Hornets.
LaMelo Ball posted 30 points less than two weeks ago in Charlotte’s 117-109 victory at Sacramento. That’s one of four games in the Hornets’ last seven that the guard has led the team in scoring.
But his impact is growing in other directions.
“Him on the defensive side, nobody really talks about,” teammate Brandon Miller said. “Everybody always looks at the one-leg 3s, the flashy moves and lobs. One thing that separates him this season is the defensive effort and the competitor that he is.”
The Kings put up 41 points in the fourth quarter and beat visiting Brooklyn 126-122 on Sunday. Malik Monk, a former Hornet, led Sacramento with a season-high 32 points.
“You see a performance like that from him, it’s not surprising at all,” Kings guard DeMar DeRozan said.
Monk made an impressive return after sustaining a shoulder injury Thursday that put him out for the rest of that game.
Now questions have surfaced about Nique Clifford after he limped off the court Sunday with a left ankle injury.
“It seems like every day, every other game somebody (is) getting hurt,” DeRozan said. “Playing with eight, nine (guys), just trying to string it together and get something out of the games we’re playing.”
It has been a rough season for the Kings, but they’ve won five of their last eight games. They’ll begin a five-game road trip in Charlotte.
“It definitely lifts the mood of everybody seeing a few wins lately,” Monk said.
Kings coach Doug Christie said there are still things to accomplish.
“The competitiveness is really what we’re looking for,” Christie said. “It’s all about playing the right way.”
Kings center Maxime Raynaud has made impacts in his debut season. He’s averaging 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game but has been overshadowed in rookie conversations by Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, among others.
The Hornets have been benefiting from certain matchups in the post regardless of who’s on the court. Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner have provided that flexibility.
“It makes us super versatile,” Lee said. “It’s nice when in different situations we can switch off ball screens, knowing we have so many like-sized guys.”
