Mar 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) as Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum (33) defends under the basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports — © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

LA Clippers vs. Charlotte Hornets: Preview, How to Watch and Betting Info

The LA Clippers will look to defeat the slumping Charlotte Hornets and maintain their standing in the Western Conference on Thursday night.

Author:
Garrett Chorpenning
Updated:
May 13, 2021 8:54 AM EDT
Original:
May 13, 2021

After taking down the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the LA Clippers will look to continue their four-game road trip with a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.

Charlotte has been slumping lately, winning just one of its last four games — most of which have come against relatively weak opponents. LaMelo Ball has finally returned to the lineup after shaking off an injured wrist, but Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges will be out for various reasons. Hayward has been out since April 4 with a foot injury, while Bridges entered the league's health and safety protocols on May 4.

However, even when they were mostly healthy, the Clippers still managed to make short work of the Hornets earlier this season. LA defeated Charlotte by 27 points in late March, and they'll be looking for a repeat performance tonight.

The Hornets are a middling team on both ends of the floor, ranking in the late teens to early 20s in both offensive and defensive rating. They don't push the ball particularly fast either, playing at the 19th-fastest pace in the league. However, Charlotte does rank highly from beyond the arc, where they're cashing in on more than 37% of their three-pointers this season.

Of course, the Clippers are the most efficient three-point shooting team in the NBA, and they're one of only a handful of teams that rank among the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating. On paper, this looks like another blowout waiting to happen.

There's clear motivation for each team to try to win, too. The Hornets have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, but it certainly wouldn't hurt them to move up and be the higher seed in their individual matchup. On the other hand, the Clippers can keep the Denver Nuggets at bay with a win tonight and hang onto third place.