3rd Quarter Report
The Clippers fell flat on their face against the Celtics on Saturday, but memory of that harsh defeat doesn’t seem to have tripped them up today. A win is still up for grabs for either team after three quarters, but the Clippers are up 82-80 over the Hornets. This contest is far closer than the pair’s previous matchup, which was decided by 21 points.
If the Clippers keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 18-12 in no time. On the other hand, the Hornets will have to make due with a 7-21 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Charlotte Hornets @ Los Angeles Clippers
Current Records: Charlotte 7-20, Los Angeles 17-12
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
- TV: NBATV
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $26.00
What to Know
The Clippers will be playing the full four quarters on Tuesday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Charlotte Hornets at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
It’s hard to win when you make 14 fewer threes than your opponent, a fact the Clippers found out the hard way on Saturday. They took a serious blow against Boston, falling 145-108. The Clippers have now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, the Hornets’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their seventh straight loss. They took a 102-95 hit to the loss column at the hands of Denver. The Hornets have not had much luck with the Nuggets recently, as the team’s come up short the last three times they’ve met.
Los Angeles’ defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 17-12. As for Charlotte, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they’ve lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-20 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Clippers haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 12.4 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Hornets struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13.5 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything went the Clippers’ way against the Hornets in their previous meeting back in December of 2022 as the Clippers made off with a 126-105 win. With the Clippers ahead 71-40 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Odds
Los Angeles is a big 12-point favorite against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Clippers as a 11-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 229.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Los Angeles has won all of the games they’ve played against Charlotte in the last 6 years.
- Dec 21, 2022 – Los Angeles 126 vs. Charlotte 105
- Dec 05, 2022 – Los Angeles 119 vs. Charlotte 117
- Jan 30, 2022 – Los Angeles 115 vs. Charlotte 90
- Nov 07, 2021 – Los Angeles 120 vs. Charlotte 106
- May 13, 2021 – Los Angeles 113 vs. Charlotte 90
- Mar 20, 2021 – Los Angeles 125 vs. Charlotte 98
- Oct 28, 2019 – Los Angeles 111 vs. Charlotte 96
- Feb 05, 2019 – Los Angeles 117 vs. Charlotte 115
- Jan 08, 2019 – Los Angeles 128 vs. Charlotte 109
- Dec 31, 2017 – Los Angeles 106 vs. Charlotte 98
