Hornets Head to Toronto for the First Time This Season
The Charlotte Hornets look to end their three-game losing streak against the Toronto Raptors on March 28th. After dropping a close one to a division rival, the Hornets look to bounce back against a team fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. A matchup to watch in this game will be LaMelo Ball versus Scottie Barnes. Ball is averaging 25.2 points and seven assists this season, while Barnes is averaging 19.5 points and seven rebounds for their respective teams. Both teams rely on their star players, and both teams have looked different without them. If the Hornets want to get back in the win column, then Ball will most likely have to outduel Barnes in this matchup.
These two teams met early in the season in Charlotte at the end of October in one of the highest-scoring games this season. The Hornets won the game 138-133, which saw six players score over 20 points, and both teams shot over 50 percent from the field. However, Charlotte is a completely different team than when they last faced Toronto. In the first game, the Hornets got 72 points off the bench now those bench players are either injured or were traded during the Trade Deadline. RJ Barrett led all scorers with 31 points as Barnes did not play in this game due to an eye injury. The Hornets shot 44 percent from three and made 20 three-pointers in a game, which is tied for the sixth most three-point makes in franchise history. This game is expected to look very different from the first matchup.
It is possible to get a game like this again as both teams are near the bottom of the league in total defense. An offensive shootout could be on hand as both teams are averaging 110 points per game in their last five games. This game is more important for the Raptors to win to stay within distance of the Miami Heat with nine games remaining in the regular season. The Hornets are out of playoff contention, so they could play spoiler as they head towards the offseason.
