Today is Saturday, March 8, and so we are now two days removed from (another) performance of a lifetime authored by Stephen Curry at Barclays. Aside from the ridiculous shots he was hitting, he was doing these amazing things while prompting a comeback against the Nets, who after all had been much as 29-9 in the first quarter. While Brooklyn is having a bad season as we are all aware, it does feel nice to write about games where greatness is on full display.
Tonight, the Brooklyn Nets will be taking on Curry’s hometown team in the Charlotte Hornets. Not a lot of potential for greatness here. The Hornets too saw a big failed comeback against a contender, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Friday night when Miles Bridges scored 46 points but failed to hit a half-court buzzer-beater.
So, the Hornets currently hold a 14-48 record in the Eastern Conference. If trendlines extend out, it could be they, not the lowly Wizards, who wind up with the NBA’s worst record. With the Nets coming into the matchup with six straight losses and the Hornets with nine, this will likely be a battle about who plays harder and who will be coached better. That should be the Nets.
Where to Watch
It’s an early start. Check out the action at 6:00 p.m. ET on the YES Network. For you out-of-towners, It’s the Gotham Sports App or NBA League Pass.
Injury Report
No Cam Johnson (left knee soreness) and De’Anthony Melton (out for season and not with the team). The three two-ways — Reece Beekman, Tyson Etienne and Tovan Evbuomwan — plus Dariq Whitehead will all be in Long Island preparing for their third and last trip to Montreal as “Les Nets.”.
Three Hornets remain out for the season: Brandon Miller (wrist), Grant Williams (knee) and Tre Mann (back) while Josh Okogie (hamstring) won’t return till March 21. Mark Williams, he of the failed Lakers trade, remains a game time decision.
The Game
The last time these two teams met up, Brooklyn was able to take advantage of the lack of presence in the middle, even with Moussa Diabate’s 21 & 10. The combination of Day’Ron Sharpe and Nic Claxton was too much for the Hornets, and it could be once again with Charlotte also on back end of a back-to-back Saturday.
Also, the Nets now have Cam Thomas, which could do damage to Charlotte’s backcourt alongside D’Angelo Russell. Thomas showed flashes of his shooting superpower against the Warriors, hitting tough shots as only Cam Thomas can. Missed that a lot.
It’s hard to imagine this game will be anywhere near as exciting as the game against the Golden State Warriors. It’s one of those games where the Nets just have to play. But hey, one step closer to the Draft Lottery on May 12, “only” nine weeks away!
Player to Watch: Lamelo Ball
Last time out vs. Brooklyn, Ball’s game was cut short — he played a mere 10 minutes due to injury. That doesn’t take a way how gifted he is as a player. Even with another injury riddled season — he’s missed more games over the last three years than Ben Simmons, Ball is still averaging 25.8 points and seven assists in 40 games. He is still a young player, and should he get healthy and go to a winning team, he can still be an awesome contributor.
The question remains whether he will ever get healthy. Despite the gaudy numbers there are rumblings that the Hornets under former Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson will go even deeper into their rebuild and put their fate more in the hands of Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges who put up 46 Friday night. Bridges remains a centerpiece of Charlotte’s future along with Ball, but could that change? Could Ball have another address by next season?
From the Vault
Cam Johnson will be back in North Carolina where he not only had a solid career playing for the Tar Heels but finished with a 3.8 GPA in communications at Chapel Hill. He played 73 games for UNC in his final two college seasons and did a lot of what he’s done since in the NBA: take big shots.
CamJ is one of two former Tar Heel products on the Nets, the other Day’Ron Sharpe who played only one season on Tobacco Road.
More reading: At the Hive and SBNation NBA.