Hornets look to avenge 42-point dismantling against Kings

INJURY REPORT

PROBABLE: Seth Curry (lower back), Taj Gibson (illness), and Mark Williams (muscle spasms). QUESTIONABLE: Nick Smith Jr. (ankle). OUT: LaMelo Ball (wrist, ankle), Josh Green (shoulder), Tre Mann (disc), Brandon Miller (wrist), and Grant Williams (knee).

For the Sacramento Kings:

QUESTIONABLE: Devin Carter (shoulder). OUT: Jake LaRavia (thumb).

GAME PREVIEW

In the last five, Charlotte is -14. Sacramento is the same. This matchup is important for both parties. The Sacramento Kings need a win badly, as they're just one game up on the Phoenix Suns for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. They are also just one and a half games back of the Dallas Mavericks for the ninth seed, so they need a win.

The Hornets arguably need a loss. They're 3.5 games back of the worst record in the NBA, and they're 2.5 games back from the second-worst. The worse they finish, the better their worst-case draft scenario in the lottery can be. They will still have a 14% chance of winning the lottery, but the worse, the better. Will they catch the Utah Jazz or Washington Wizards? Probably not, but they do still need to fend off the New Orleans Pelicans.

With Josh Green and a host of others out tonight, this is a good game for the youth to get some run. These games should primarily be about development, so expect to see a lot of Nick Smith Jr. (should he play) and KJ Simpson. Moussa Diabate might get a lot of burn, too.

Key Matchup: Zach LaVine vs. anyone who can guard him

Last time the Hornets and Kings faced off, Zach LaVine was basically a one-man wrecking crew. The guard scored 42 points, the difference in the game. He shot an unfathomable 16/19 from the field and was eigth of nine from three. It was a career night, so the Hornets have to ensure that doesn't happen again.

Unfortunately, Josh Green is out. He would've likely been the primary defender for LaVine. However, Josh Okogie should play, and he is actually the Hornets' best defender. Okogie has a 100.3 defensive rating, best on the team among those who have played at least 10 games.

In fact, Okogie would rank among the league leaders if he'd played more. Nevertheless, it will be primarily up to him. However, he can't play all 48 minutes, especially not after recently coming back from an injury. That will leave it up to others, and those players don't have as strong defense.

Miles Bridges might be the next best player to guard him, but he won't have as many opportunities. KJ Simpson and Nick Smith Jr. will take up some possessions, but neither are good defenders. After Okogie, there will be a fall off, so the Hornets may need to scheme or gameplan some way to stop LaVine.

Predicted Starting Fives

Position	Hornets	Kings
PG	KJ Simpson	Keon Ellis
SG	Seth Curry	Zach LaVine
SF	DaQuan Jeffries	DeMar DeRozan
PF	Miles Bridges	Keegan Murray
C	Mark Williams	Domantas Sabonis

The Hornets next outing is on Sunday, April 6 agains the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is at 1:00 pm EDT in the Spectrum Center.

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