Oklahoma City Thunder at Charlotte Hornets | NBA preview 02.21.15
Hornets vs. Thunder
7 p.m., Time Warner Cable Arena
TV: SportSouth. Radio: WFNZ-AM 610.
Projected Starters
Hornets | Thunder | |||||
Pos, Player | Ppg | Rpg | Pos, Player | Ppg | Rpg | |
G, B. Roberts | 7.1 | 1.5 | G, R. Westbrook | 25.8 | 6.3 | |
G, G. Henderson | 11.2 | 3.0 | G, A. Roberson | 3.8 | 4.1 | |
F, M. Kidd-Gilchrist | 10.2 | 7.2 | F, K. Durant | 25.9 | 6.6 | |
F, C. Zeller | 7.5 | 5.6 | F, S. Ibaka | 13.8 | 7.5 | |
C, A. Jefferson | 17.3 | C, N. Collison | 3.8 | 3.7 | ||
Matchup to Watch
Kevin Durant vs. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: Durant, the reigning MVP, is a fantastic scorer and MKG is one of the league’s better defensive small forwards.
Observations
▪ The Thunder made some big changes at the trade deadline, sending Reggie Jackson to the Detroit Pistons. They ended up with Enes Kanter from Utah and D.J. Augustin and Kyle Singler from Detroit.
▪ You think of the Thunder as primarily a great offensive team, but OKC allows the second-lowest field-goal percentage (.429) in the NBA this season.
Tap-ins
▪ The Hornets expect to get back Kidd-Gilchrist after he missed two games with a hamstring strain. The Hornets are 11-25 this season and last when Kidd-Gilchrist doesn’t play.
▪ Charlottean Anthony Morrow was a Thunder free-agent signing last summer.
Did you know?
The Thunder has won eight in a row over the Bobcats/Hornets. Only one of those games was decided by fewer than 17 points and included a 45-point thumping last season.
Rick Bonnell
This story was originally published February 20, 2015 at 7:06 PM with the headline "Oklahoma City Thunder at Charlotte Hornets | NBA preview 02.21.15."