Sacramento Kings at Charlotte Hornets Game Preview

After spending nearly two weeks on the road, the Charlotte Hornets return home to begin a brief homestand against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.

Charlotte's road trip ended on Monday and culminated with a 2-4 record. Coach James Borrego said he was confident after watching his team battle some of the league's toughest competition on West Coast.

Charlotte (20-23) won at Western Conference cellar-dweller Phoenix and finished the trip with a win at San Antonio. The only lopsided loss on the trip was in Portland, 127-96.

"I would say out of the six games, five of the games we were competitive," Borrego told the media. "I thought we played well. "If you can win in San Antonio, in that environment against that team, you can do it everywhere. If you come and defend, you can win every single night."

Sacramento (23-21) comes in on a roll, sweeping a three-game homestand that included a 104-97 victory over the Hornets on Saturday. More impressive was Monday's 115-107 victory over Portland that showed off the Kings' depth and young talent.

Sacramento's stop in Charlotte kicks off a long road trip that includes games against Detroit, Brooklyn, Toronto, and Memphis.

Sacramento, like Charlotte, is battling for a playoff spot, which is easier to do in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte guard Tony Parker, an offseason free agent acquisition, is trying to reach the playoffs for the 18th consecutive season. He made it in all 17 of his seasons with the Spurs, winning four titles.

Kemba Walker leads Charlotte with an average of 25.2 points per game. He scored 31 in Saturday's loss to the Kings. Guard Buddy Hield leads the up-tempo Kings with 20.1 points per game, hitting 44.4 percent of his 3-pointers (143 of 322).

Tip-off is 7:00 PM at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC