The San Antonio Spurs (59-10) will attempt to extend a six-game winning streak when they take on the Charlotte Hornets (39-30) at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 21 and can be seen on NBA, FSW and FxS.
The Hornets lost to the Nuggets 101-93 on Saturday. Nicolas Batum finished with 24 points to lead the team. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off an 87-79 win against the Warriors on Saturday. LaMarcus Aldridge had a big game and claimed his 21st double-double of the season, accumulating 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Batum has been playing at a high level for the Hornets. During that stretch, he has averaged 20.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 3.0 three-pointers. Aldridge has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 23.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks while leading the Spurs.
Second-chance points might be scarce for Charlotte in this matchup. They rank 26th in the NBA in offensive rebounding (offensive rebound percentage of 20.3%), while the Spurs are second-best in the league on the defensive glass (defensive rebound percentage of 79.5%). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Spurs. They are 29th in the league in free throw attempt rate (23.8), while the Hornets are among the league’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 25.1, ranking fifth in the NBA).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Spurs won the first game 114-94. Kemba Walker was the top overall scorer in the game with 27 points.
The Hornets have gone 39-30 Straight Up (SU) and 36-32-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 39-30 SU and 36-32-1 ATS against teams from the Western Conference. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Charlotte’s offense, which average a league-low 12.1 turnovers per game.
Over on the other bench, San Antonio has a SU record of 59-10 and an ATS record of 41-28. San Antonio has records of 59-10 SU and 41-28 ATS against the East. San Antonio is the top shooting team in the league, making .488 of its shots from the floor. The Spurs are an unselfish team with an average of 25.0 assists per game, ranking third in the NBA. Switching gears to San Antonio’s defense, the Spurs have the best opponent field-goal percentage in the league at .432. Blocking shots is an area where San Antonio has excelled. The Spurs average 6.0 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league.
The Spurs’ win over Charlotte in their last clash brought their SU record in the past 10 games to 10-0. The Spurs also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-3-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
San Antonio’s offense and Charlotte’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. San Antonio puts up an average of 0.0 points per game, while Charlotte allows 0.0 points per game.
San Antonio and Charlotte are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. San Antonio puts up an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Charlotte allows 0.0 points at home on average.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the San Antonio Spurs are a formidable 49-4. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Charlotte Hornets have an underachieving record of 7-24.
When the Spurs give up at least 100 points to their opponent, they are 10-6. When the Hornets hit the century mark, they also have a winning record (32-6).
The Spurs have the third-best offensive rating in the NBA (109.6). The Hornets are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 102.3 (ranked eighth).
San Antonio has an average field goal percentage of 48.8% (ranked first). Charlotte is a subpar 6-14 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the Charlotte Hornets attempt 29.0 three point field goals per game and the San Antonio Spurs attempt 18.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 three pointers, Charlotte has a winning record of 37-24, while San Antonio has a losing record of 1-2.
The San Antonio Spurs top the league in assist to turnover ratio this season with an A/TO of 1.98. The Charlotte Hornets are also among the best (ranked sixth) with an A/TO of 1.77.
The Hornets rank 15th in rebounds per game with 43.9, while the Spurs rank ninth with 44.4 per game.
The San Antonio Spurs rank 25th in offensive rebounding, while the Charlotte Hornets rank fifth in defensive rebounding.
San Antonio is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.0% (ranked ninth). Charlotte is an even 10-10 SU when it has a TOV% of 15.0% or greater.
