New Orleans Pelicans Face A Wounded Charlotte Hornets Team On A Three-Game Skid

The New Orleans Pelicans open four-game home stand against struggling Hornets.

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans (24-17) host the Charlotte Hornets (8-29) Wednesday night in the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans finished their five-game road trip with a 3-2 record and now head home for four straight games. Meanwhile, Charlotte has lost five straight games and 16 of the last 17 games overall. The Pelicans have won three straight games versus the Hornets.

Most eyes will be on Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram on Wednesday night. Ingram is in the middle of the worst slump since his rookie season. He's not scored 20 points in seven straight games and is shooting just 42.3% from the field. The Hornets are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, so this could be a chance for Ingram to get back on track. 

Mar 21, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) dribbles the ball while defended by New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Charlotte is second-to-last in the league in defensive efficiency, ranking near the bottom in opponent field goal percentage and opponent points per game. The Hornets hold optimism that the return of star guard Lamelo Ball can help turn their season around. Ball missed 20 straight games with an ankle injury, returning to action last week against the San Antonio Spurs. Since his return, he's averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and five assists.

These teams played a competitive game back in December. New Orleans won that game 112-107, one of their rare clutch wins of the season. The Pelicans are 6-9 in clutch games, and 0-6 in games decided by three points or less. Charlotte is 5-1 in such games. Jonas Valanciunas had a monster game in the last meeting. He scored a team-high 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Charlotte is No. 23 in the league in opponent points per game in the paint, while the Pels rank No. 10 in scoring in the restricted area.

Zion Williamson does most of his damage in this area, averaging the second-most paint points in the league. Williamson has scored 30 points in his last two games and seems to be rounding back into his all-star form. Various injuries to Zion have held them out of a few games versus the Hornets in his career. Before this season, Williamson had only played against Charlotte twice in his career. Wednesday night will mark two times this year Zion has faced the Hornets. 

New Orleans is facing a Hornets team with the third-worst road record in the NBA. They are 4-16 away from Charlotte, while New Orleans is 12-8 at the Smoothie King Center this year. The Pelicans remain in New Orleans for the next four games as they try to climb up the Western Conference standings. They are currently No. 6 in the West.