Preview: Wizards play Hornets on Friday night

Dec 2, 2022 - 2:18 AM

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The Washington Wizards head to Charlotte on Friday to take on a short-handed Hornets squad.

Game Info

Game Time: Friday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.

How to watch: NBC Sports Washington

Injuries

WIZARDS— Delon Wright, (Out, Hamstring); Rui Hachimura, (Out, Ankle)

HORNETS— LaMelo Ball, (Out, Ankle); Gordon Hayward, (Out, Shoulder); Cody Martin, (Out, Knee); Dennis Smith Jr., (Out, Ankle)

Pregame Notes

The Wizards are mired in a funk. They’ve lost four of their last five games and are teetering towards falling below .500 for the first time in almost a month.

The Hornets, their next opponent, come at just the right time. Charlotte stands at 6-15 and is a clear favorite to have top odds for Victor Wembanyama once the dust settles. They also own the fourth-worst net rating in the NBA at -6.5 and will be defending home court without the services of two of their best players in LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, both out due to injury.

The downside is that Washington has historically struggled in Charlotte. Before their win at Spectrum Center earlier this year, they’d gone nine straight games without one dating back to January of 2017.

But in this young season, the Wizards already seem to have the Hornets’ number. They currently stand at 2-0 against their hosts after their November 7 and 20 wins. Let’s hope they can keep this new pattern going and pick up that W.