Bobcats vs. Hornets Preview
New Orleans, LA (AP) – The New Orleans Hornets are having no trouble scoring points after tipoff. Knocking down shots after halftime is where they’re running into problems.
The Hornets again hope to fix their second-half scoring woes and avoid losing for the fifth time in six games Wednesday night when they host the Charlotte Bobcats, who hope Gerald Wallace can play only days after getting injured in a scary fall.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the X point spread favorites for Wednesday’s game against the X. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that X% of more than X bets for this game have been placed on the X.
New Orleans (12-5) opened this season as one of the league’s hottest teams, winning 11 of its first 12 games. Balanced scoring throughout games helped the Hornets during that stretch, as they averaged 47.8 first-half points and 49.7 after the break.
New Orleans has since become much more aggressive in the opening half but has been unable to carry that momentum through halftime.
In dropping four of their last five, the Hornets are averaging 54.2 first-half points on 53.3 percent shooting, compared to 38.4 points on 39.3 percent shooting in the final two quarters. Three-time All-Star Chris Paul is averaging 5.2 points and hitting 25.8 percent from the field in the second half of his last six games after averaging 9.5 on 51.4 percent shooting in the first 11.
Paul and the Hornets are coming off Monday’s 95-89 loss to Oklahoma City. New Orleans was outscored 34-21 over the game’s final 14 minutes, one night after being outscored 55-34 in the second half of a 109-95 loss to San Antonio.
“I thought we competed our tails off on the road in a tough back-to-back,” coach Monty Williams said. “The ball didn’t go down. It happens in this league.”
Three of the Hornets’ last four losses have come on the road, but four of their next five games are at New Orleans Arena, where they’re 7-1.
New Orleans had won its first five home games against the Bobcats before suffering a 104-103 loss April 7. Paul missed that game with a ligament tear in his right middle finger.
Charlotte (6-11), loser of three straight on the road, is hoping Wallace will play after he was hurt while getting fouled on a drive to the basket late in Saturday’s 104-101 loss to Milwaukee.
The Bobcats originally diagnosed Wallace with a hyperextended left elbow but have changed the injury to a contusion after he received ice treatment and electric stimulation Sunday.
“It actually isn’t as bad as it looked,” Wallace said. “My elbow is kind of tender, but other than that I’m pretty much good.”
Wallace, an All-Star last season, is averaging 17.2 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds. Charlotte is 4-1 when he grabs at least 10 boards.
He’s second on the team in scoring behind Stephen Jackson, who was ejected with 7:31 left in the first quarter Saturday in the Bobcats’ third loss in four games. Jackson, averaging 18.1 points, was held scoreless for the first time since Dec. 2, 2006, against Denver.
On Tuesday, the veteran guard was suspended one game for verbally abusing an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection.
That could prove to be a costly suspension for the Bobcats. Jackson averaged 27.5 points in two games against the Hornets last season, his second most versus any opponent.
D.J. Augustin helped pick up the slack in Jackson’s absence with a season high-tying 26 points. Augustin, a New Orleans native, is becoming more involved in Charlotte’s offense, averaging 17.0 points in his last five games after averaging 10.7 on 35.7 percent shooting in his previous six.
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