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Brandon Miller's scorching hot form sets the stage for third matchup against his GOAT Paul George

Round three of Miller vs. George is on tap for tonight.

Matt Alquiza

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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It doesn't take a trained basketball eye to see the similarities between Brandon Miller and Paul George. Both supersized wings bring an idealistic blend of fluidity, basketball IQ, athleticism, and shooting touch that coalesces into a two-way package that NBA general managers salivate over. Tonight, the pair will face off for the third time this season, with Miller looking to one-up his idol for the first time.

In the most recent matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and the Philadelphia 76ers, Miller was unbelievable in the second half. The super sophomore swingman reached full blown "he's on fire!" NBA Jam status as he led the Hornets on a furious comeback that ultimately fell short. Nick Nurse threw consistent double and triple teams Miller's way as the clock ticked down, desperately trying to get the ball out of the red hot scorer's hands.

Nurse's tactics were effective in neutralizing Miller in the late stages of their December 3rd matchup. The 76ers eventually won in spite of Brandon Miller's 34-point outburst, but other squads have also had struggled to slowdown the effervescent second-year play maker. He's up to a 22 points per game average on the season on solid efficiency (40% shooting, 31% from three). Miller is on a 12-game run of 20+ point outings, including a 38-point explosion against Detroit and a pair of double doubles.

Ahead of tonight's matchup, Nurse was asked about Miller's talent, his last matchup against Philly, and if he sees any shared traits between him and Paul George:

"Last time we were here, we thought we were doing a really great job on him. Got to the half and he had, eight points. We were obviously game planning, scheming, all kinds of stuff for him. And then we just kind of let our guard down once or twice...and all of a sudden he gets going and he starts catching in transition and then everything is looking great for him"

"I know he looks up to PG (Paul George), I've heard that as well. He's got the similar size. He's got the shooting. I think he's going to continue to grow other parts of his game. He's a good one-on-one player like PG is too. It's a good comparison."

Charlotte takes on Philadelphia at 7 P.M. tonight, and it will take a big game from Miller for the Hornets to spring the upset.

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Matt Alquiza
MATT ALQUIZA

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