The Smoothie King Center will play host to a Friday night NBA clash between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hornets (32-35) have dropped consecutive games and are tied with Atlanta for ninth place in the East. On Wednesday, Charlotte was outscored by ten points during the second half of a 115-101 home loss versus Boston.
Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington scored 17 points apiece to lead Charlotte on a combined 12-for-26 from the field. LaMelo Ball added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Hornets.
The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to snap a three-game slide and trail Los Angeles by 1.5 games for ninth place in the West. On Wednesday, New Orleans trailed by 15 points at halftime during a disappointing 108-102 home loss versus lowly Orlando. The Pelicans (27-39) missed 24 of their 31 three-point attempts and shot 44 percent overall.
New Orleans G C.J. McCollum led all scorers with 32 points on 14-for-27 shooting and dished out eight assists. Jonas Valanciunas added 30 points and 15 rebounds for the Pelicans.
