The Charlotte Hornets host the Brooklyn Nets at the Spectrum Center on Saturday (November 5) and the latter enter as favorites after their blowout win over the Washington Wizards on Friday.
Despite Kevin Durant’s impressive 28-point night that also had 9 rebounds and 11 assists, the controversy-marred Brooklyn Nets have the same 3-6 record as the Hornets.
With Kyrie Irving serving his suspension, all eyes will be on Durant again to lead the charge against Charlotte, who lost three games in a row after pulling off a stunner against the Golden State Warriors.
The Nets will look to continue on a winning spree and shake off the inconsistency that’s been plaguing them so far in the season and eventually led to the firing of their coach Steve Nash.
The injury-riddled Hornets will look to derail Brooklyn’s success, and all eyes will be on an under-manned outfit as they look to register a win at home. Ahead of the clash between the two Eastern teams, we take a look at the potential starters, the injury report, and the prediction.
Charlotte Hornets Expected Lineups And Injuries Updates
The latest injury update on ESPN sees LaMelo Ball sitting this contest out as well, and that extends the time he’s off the court. He’s not suited up for the Hornet yet, and the team coach Steve Clifford believes his guard will be back in the next couple of days.
Joining Ball on the sidelines are Cody Martin (quadriceps) and Gordon Hayward (Shoulder). Terry Rozier is questionable after missing the contest against the Memphis Grizzlies.
As far as the starting five goes, Dennis Smith Jr. (G), Kelly Oubre Jr. (G), Jalen McDaniels (F), PJ Washington (F), and Mason Plumlee (C) are likely to be the ones taking the floor.
Brooklyn Nets Expected Lineups And Injuries Updates
The Nets will be without the services of Ben Simmons (left knee soreness), Kyrie Irving (suspension), TJ Warren (left foot), Kessler Edwards (G League assignment), and Alondes Williams (G League – Two-Way).
It was reported that Simmons did not travel with the team to Charlotte and is back in Brooklyn with the medical team tending to his knee. While the MRI scans were revealed to be clean, the swelling persisted, and that sees Simmons not suiting up for the side.
For the Nets, the starting lineup might see Edmond Sumner (G), Joe Harris (G), Kevin Durant (F), Royce O’Neale (F), and Nic Claxton (C) as the five.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Brooklyn Nets Prediction
The Hornets, safe to say, have lost the much-needed sting after injuries have put some of their best out of commission. They will heavily rely on the bench to do a good job of containing the Nets and later stage a comeback.
This will be the first time both sides meet in the NBA 2022-23 season, and Brooklyn will hope to better their current run.
With all the bad news for the Nets going on in the form of Irving’s suspension, a win against the Wizards was what they needed, and their defense rose to the occasion. The Wizards’ second unit was held to just 29 points in the second half. This, coupled with Durant’s solid outing, helped the side register a win and garner some momentum.
Placed 21st and 25th in scoring and defense in the league at the time of writing, the Nets will look to improve on both fronts against the better-placed defense (19th). However, with one star enough to change the complexion of the contest and Durant being the man-in-form, we’ll lean toward the Nets for this one.
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