Charlotte Hornets vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Match Preview - January 2, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21

The Charlotte Hornets are on the road Saturday for the first of a two-game Eastern Conference matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers have the tools necessary to make a deep postseason run and have seemed to adjust well to new head coach, Doc Rivers. The Hornets will likely be one of the league's "bubble teams" that will fight for a playoff spot in the 2020-21 NBA season.

Match Details

Fixture: Charlotte Hornets vs Philadelphia 76ers | NBA Season 2020-21

Date & Time: Saturday, January 2nd, 2021, 7 PM ET

Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

_________________________________________________________________

Charlotte Hornets Preview

Brooklyn Nets v Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are on the verge of elevating themselves into the upper tier of teams in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets feature many offensive threats but have been unable to put the pieces together thus far. In their last game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Hornets struggled to get their offensive game going, and were unable to outlast the Grizzlies in a 108-93 defeat.

Key Player - Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward is the key player for the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Hayward is off to an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 season, averaging 19.8 points in 34 minutes on the year.

We pick each other up! Great team win in Dallas last night. #AllFly pic.twitter.com/QygbDEgLRi

— Gordon Hayward (@gordonhayward) December 31, 2020

As one of the veteran leaders on the Hornets, Hayward will need to produce with much greater efficiency on the offensive end moving forward. Hayward scored a mere 14 points in the Hornets' last game and will need a breakout performance in order to slow down the surging 76ers.

Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup

G Devonte' Graham, G Terry Rozier, F Gordon Hayward, F PJ Washington, C Bismack Biyombo

_________________________________________________________________

Philadelphia 76ers Preview

76ers v Celtics - NBA Preseason 2020-21

The Philadelphia 76ers have been looking very strong through their first five games of this 2020-21 season. Head coach Doc Rivers' emphasis on defensive prowess has proven to a very good gameplan for this 76ers team, as they improved to 4-1 in their latest victory over the Orlando Magic. Led offensively by their superstars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the 76ers now share first place in the Eastern Conference with the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers.

Key Player - Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons is the Philadelphia 76ers' key player in their matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Simmons is nearly averaging a double-double on the year, with 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Ben Simmons three without hesitation 👌 pic.twitter.com/Q3BrAAu3tl

— ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2020

In the Philadelphia 76ers' road victory over the Orlando Magic, Ben Simmons hit his third career three-pointer. Simmons has been bombarded with criticism over his unwillingness to shoot the three-ball in recent years, but has been shooting the ball with more confidence lately.

Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup

G Ben Simmons, G Seth Curry, F Danny Green, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid

_________________________________________________________________

Hornets vs. 76ers Prediction

The Philadelphia 76ers have been getting production from both of their All-Stars on the offensive end and should expect more of the same against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. The Hornets fell to 2-3 on the season with their last loss and will need to make some big adjustments in order to compete with the 76ers. If their stars can continue to perform, I predict a large Philadelphia 76ers victory.

Where to watch Hornets vs 76ers?

The game will be broadcast live locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia. NBA fans can also stream the game live on the NBA League Pass.

Recommended Video

Guess the Lakers players!