The Hornets have been one of the stories of the NBA season, producing elite advanced metrics in the second half. Can they secure their playoff spot?<\/p>\n
The Detroit Pistons will be watching closely, set to face the winner in the first round. Publicly they won\u2019t mind, but internally they\u2019d much prefer Orlando.<\/p>\n
Charlotte is dangerous. They\u2019ve shaken off the play-in hoodoo with this young group, and if they replicate their form from the past three months, they\u2019ll be tough to stop \u2014 even on the road.<\/p>\n
This shapes as a Hornets win. They got over the line in their first play-in game, and while Miami pushed them, Orlando doesn\u2019t have that same coaching edge to lean on.<\/p>\n
Since January 1, Charlotte ranks first in the NBA for net rating with a 33-16 record. Orlando sits 18th over that same period.<\/p>\n
The Hornets have also won the last three meetings between these teams by an average of 20.3 points. Expect another statement performance here.<\/p>\n
Miles Bridges remains a key piece for Charlotte and comes off a 28-point outing against Miami.<\/p>\n
While his late regular season numbers dipped, his minutes were also reduced. In his last 13 games playing 30+ minutes, he\u2019s averaged 18 points per game.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s hit 15+ in five of his last seven games with 30+ minutes, which is the role he should see here.<\/p>\n
Suggs had a poor shooting night against Philadelphia, but this sets up as a bounce-back spot.<\/p>\n
When playing 30+ minutes this season, he averages 7.7 three-point attempts and 2.5 makes per game.<\/p>\n
Prior to last game, he had hit 2+ threes in 13 of his previous 14 games in that role.<\/p>\n