What: Charlotte Hornets (39-36) (20-17 away) at Brooklyn Nets (18-57) (10-26 home)

When: 7:30pm Eastern

Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY

How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Outfitting: Hornets–Association (white), Nets–Statement (black)

Game Lines: Hornets -15.5, Hornets money line -14.5, O/U 218.5

Injuries:
Hornets: None

Nets: Jalen Wilson-probable (illness), Michael Porter Jr.-out (hamstring), Egor Demin-out (foot), Danny Wolf-out (ankle), Terance Mann-out (achilles), Day’Ron Sharpe-out (thumb)

It’s a must win trap game. The Hornets have lost two in a row, but both were to good teams in the 76ers and the Celtics. Even in the heat of a playoff race, it might be easy to let their guard down when they visit a Nets team that’s won just three of their last 23 games. They’re also missing far and away their best player.

The Nets are playing out the string with a lot of names you’ll recognize if you’re a draftnik, but none of them are star caliber players. After Michael Porter Jr., Ziaire Williams leads the team in scoring since the all star break, followed by Noah Clowney, Josh Minott, and Nolan Traore. None of those players are averaging more than 12 points in a game. The Nets get their scoring by committee, which maybe sounds good in theory, but it’s really because no one on the team can reliably score consistently. They have the worst offensive rating in the league, and it’s gotten significantly worse in the back half of the season.

It’s a good chance for a get right spot for the Hornets. The Nets have had a few competitive games against good teams, but they’re badly lacking in the talent department right now. The Hornets have struggled to get their threes to fall, and a lower pressure situation could be all they need to get the confidence back. As long as they don’t take their opponent lightly, they should win handily. It’s a must-win game to keep pace in the race for the top half of the play-in spots.