New Orleans @ Charlotte preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 3, 2019 ) Charlotte 115, New Orleans 109

The Charlotte Hornets will try to start a new winning streak when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday in the finale of a three-game homestand. After opening the homestand with a 122-120 victory over Indiana to extend their run to three wins in a row, the Hornets dropped a 108-87 decision to the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Charlotte shot a season-low 38.4 percent from the field while making only six of its 31 3-point tries and turning the ball over 20 times. "We didn't move the ball like we have been the last few games, getting out in transition," Hornets forward Miles Bridges told reporters. "(The Celtics) switched everything so that kind of threw us off a little bit. We should have moved the ball more." The Pelicans own the worst record in the Western Conference and are 0-4 on the road. They were outscored by 22 points in the second quarter Friday night against Toronto at home and eventually fell 122-104.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE PELICANS (1-7): New Orleans entered Friday last in the NBA in scoring defense (124.3) and had plenty of issues on that end of the floor early versus the Raptors, allowing 75 first-half points. Brandon Ingram tried to keep the Pelicans in it with 27 points, the sixth time in eight games this season that he's topped the 25-point mark. His team attempted more than 40 3-pointers for the fifth time on the season last time out but hit just 10.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (4-4): Thursday night marked the return of longtime Charlotte star Kemba Walker, while his replacement in the Hornets' backcourt, Terry Rozier, struggled to make the hometown fans move on. Rozier was a dismal 1-for-11 from the floor and had just two assists against four turnovers in 26 minutes. "He played hard," coach James Borrego told reporters of Rozier. "He tried to play the game the right way but shots weren't falling. He competed tonight and he just has to stick with it."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pelicans SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 13 points in 16 minutes off the bench Friday after producing four points on 1-of-12 shooting over his previous three games.

2. Bridges recorded his second career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Celtics.

3. The teams split the two-game season series in 2018-19, with the road squad winning both times.

PREDICTION: Hornets 118, Pelicans 108