Hornets, Bobcats tangle in Charlotte

The worst that the Eastern and Western Conferences have to offer will meet in the Queen City on Monday as the Charlotte Bobcats try to avoid a franchise record 17th consecutive defeat when they host the New Orleans Hornets.

Charlotte (7-52) is already guaranteed of finishing with the worst record in the NBA this season and has a chance to finish with the worst single-season winning percentage in NBA history if it loses its final seven contests.

The Bobcats matched the longest losing streak in club history on Sunday, falling to Boston, 94-82, in Charlotte. The team has also lost nine consecutive in the Tar Heel State, also a franchise mark for futility.

Gerald Henderson had 22 points for the Bobcats, who matched their franchise- record skid set, also set this season from Jan. 16-Feb. 15. They haven't won since March 17.

Another defeat to the Hornets tonight would be Charlotte's 17th and the NBA's longest since Cleveland dropped 26 in a row from Dec. 20, 2010-Feb. 9, 2011.

New Orleans, on the other hand, has been finishing strongly and won its third straight on Sunday when Eric Gordon scored a team-high 18 points and Carl Landry added 16 points and 11 rebounds, as the Hornets took down the Grizzlies, 88-75, at New Orleans Arena.

Jason Smith also posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards for New Orleans, which forced 21 turnovers in completing a successful 4-1 homestand.

"They (Grizzlies) missed a lot of shots, but I thought we had little to do with that," New Orleans head coach Monty Williams said. "Overall, I thought it was a good team win."

Charlotte snapped a two-game skid to NOLA with a 73-71 win in the Big Easy back on March 12 and will be aiming to sweep the season series for the first time ever.