Nets try to beat the Hornets in Charlotte

You'll take what you can get. After losing three straight games by over 20 points, the Brooklyn Nets played host to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets ended their losing streak with an 18 point victory. This is the second night of a back-to-back, and once this is over, the team will have a few days off.

Playing host to the Nets will be the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have struggled this year and have failed to meet high expectations. This is the second night of a back-to-back for the Hornets. They lost a double overtime game in Memphis on Friday night. Things don't get any easier after this one. They only have one day off before traveling to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers on Monday night.

Where to follow the game

On television, head to the YES Network. On the radio, go to WFAN 101.9 FM. Tip off is scheduled for a bit after 7:00 PM.

Injuries

No Brook Lopez. He's still out with a back injury. Mirza Teletovic has missed the last couple of games and his status for this game is currently unknown. He did travel to Charlotte.

Nothing here for the Hornets.

The game

What's happening? Let's check it out:

This is the first meeting of the season between these  two teams.

Mason Plumlee had his best game of the season on Friday, and will now be tasked with defending Al Jefferson. Like a lot of Hornets, Big Al has taken a step back compared to last year. He has the size advantage on Plumlee so look for Charlotte to get him the ball early and often. More times than not, Kevin Garnett will be covering Big Al. Plumlee has a tendency to get into foul trouble and leaving him on Jefferson for an extended amount of time spells trouble for Brooklyn.

At point guard, we should see a good duel between Deron Williams and Kemba Walker. Williams' shot wasn't working against the Sixers, but he's always been a great passer and managed to hand out 10 assists in only 29 minutes. Walker is quicker than Deron so look for him to drive fairly often (he's tenth in the league in drives per game). The Hornets don't have any excellent three point shooters, so that will help Brooklyn's defense in this contest. Liam Boylan-Pett has more on Charlotte's struggles over at the mothership.

Also, be sure to congratulate Jarrett Jack who will begin the day in Atlanta, where he'll graduate from Georgia Tech, then fly to Charlotte, a short hop, to play as Jarrett Jack, B.A.

Player to watch: Lance Stephenson

I think it's fair to say that Stephenson has been the most disappointing player in the league this season. After a borderline All Star season and eventful playoff run with Indiana, Lance was brought over to be the piece that helped vault the Hornets into contention. With the big contract and the big expectations that go along with it, he's been having the worst season of his career. Stephenson is shooting under 40 percent from the floor, 15 percent from three point range, and while his assists are up from last year, he's still committing a lot of turnovers. There are even rumors that the team is looking to trade "Born Ready" already. For those of us who thought the Hornets could make some noise this season, their struggles are a bit shocking.

He'll end up guarding the returning Joe Johnson at various points. Johnson had been dealing with the flu this week but came back on Friday. As you would expect, he didn't play well but having him back does wonders for the stagnant Nets offense. Stephenson will also match up with Sergey Karasev. He's started the last two games and has played pretty respectably. As usual, Lance will be looking for his shot and with his struggles so far, the Nets won't need to send any double teams his direction.

From the Vault

Head back to 1997 and see one of the Hornets' best players, Glen Rice, take on the current Hornets' owner, Michael Jordan. Fantastic finish too.

More reading: At The Hive

• Brooklyn Nets: Game Notes - Brooklyn Nets
• Charlotte Hornets Game Notes - Charlotte Hornets
• Nets-Hornets Preview - Jack Cassady - STATS LLC
• Charlotte Hornets vs. Brooklyn Nets: Saturday’s preview - Rick Bonnell - Charlotte Observer