The Hornets look to sweep fiery Houston Rockets

Charlotte attempts to get back on track at home versus Houston.

Austin Leake | 5 Hours Ago

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Charlotte Hornets

INJURY REPORT:

Hornets: OUT - Brandon Miller (L Ankle), Grant Williams (R ACL), Tre Mann (Disc Irritation)

Rockets: OUT - Tari Eason (Leg)

Game Preview:

The Hornets and Rockets were two teams a couple of seasons ago that found themselves in the lottery come draft time, but both teams are trending in different directions now.

The Hornets are 7-21 on the season and have lost 14 out of their last 16 games. The Rockets, on the other hand, are 19-9 and sit third in the Western Conference.

For the Hornets, it's obviously been a season to forget thus far, but with some players returning and the minutes restrictions ending soon, it could revitalize the team at the perfect time to keep them in contention for some wins.

LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams both missed the last game versus Philadelphia due to injury management on the second night of a back-to-back. However, they are off of the injury report now and should play a good chunk of minutes versus Houston.

Williams is still on his minutes restriction, but he's slowly begun ramping up more playing time, however not to the level where it typically would be. He's averaging over 10 points per game, along with 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in just a little over 14 minutes per game.

Another important piece to the Hornets' roster has most definitely been second-year player Brandon Miller. Unfortunately, Miller won't be available to suit up in this game, which is a little concerning considering he was questionable in Thursday's game versus Washington before being ruled out. Miller sprained his ankle in the loss to Philadelphia on Monday last week.

For Houston, they've been very impressive as they're one of the youngest teams in the NBA, but find themselves in a fantastic position going forward for the rest of the season.

Their young pieces of Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr, and others have been vital to their overall team success. Other veterans like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks have also been major pieces to their team, leading them to 10 games above .500.

Interestingly enough, the Hornets are one of the three losses that the Rockets suffered on their home floor this season, as they hold an 11-3 record at home and an 8-6 record on the road. The Hornets were healthy for the most part in that win, but they were without Mark Williams.

The Rockets are on the second night of a back-to-back after a win versus Toronto, while the Hornets have had their rest for the most part, as they had the entire weekend of play off.

Key Matchup: Alperen Sengun versus Mark Williams -

Will this matchup be the deciding factor in the game? Maybe not, but it will be very enticing to watch the two young centers battle. Williams wasn't available when the Hornets took on the Rockets earlier in the season, so this will be one of his biggest tests.

Sengun is one of the most talented bigs in the NBA, as he can simply do it all, whether it's passing or, scoring down low or knocking down some jump shots. Williams hasn't had a major matchup yet, so this face-off should be a great look to see the potential that the seven-footer from Duke truly has.

Projected Starting Lineups

Position	Charlotte Hornets	Houston Rockets
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	Fred VanVleet
Shooting Guard	Brandon Miller	Jalen Green
Small Forward	Josh Green	Dillon Brooks
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	Jabari Smith Jr
Center	Mark Williams	Alperen Sengun