Hornets vs. Timberwolves Pregame Report

Tonight the Charlotte Hornets (31-39) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (32-39) at 7:00 p.m. at the Spectrum Center iin Charlotte.

The Hornets, now three games out of the eighth position in the eastern conference, are trying to erase the sting of their narrow 118-114 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday and work their way back into playoff contention with just 12 games left on their regular season schedule. Tonight's game is the second of the team's three-game home-stand before going on the road to face the Toronto Raptors (51-21) - currently ranked second in the eastern conference.

The T-Wolves are trying to put the brakes on 4 game losing streak which includes losses to Denver, Utah, Houston and Golden State. But the playoffs are a much more distant possibility for Minnesota (32-39) as they must navigate the Western Conference to get there.

Tonight's primary stategies for the Hornets will be finishing in the fourth quarter, increasing contributions from the starting lineup and containing. In the Hornets’ loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday the Hornets bench led by Jeremy Lamb's 26 points combined for 61 points and also outscored the Charlotte starting lineup in the first half.

"Gotta keep searching for answers and keep digging," Borrego said.

They'll also have to contend with Karl Anthony-Towns who is averaging just under 25 points per game and just over 12 rebounds per game for the Timberwolves.

But that may be a challenge for Charlotte who will be without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (concussion protocol) and possibly without Cody Zeller.