Sacramento Kings vs. Charlotte Hornets Pick & Prediction APRIL 4th 2025

Preview and Prediction

The Sacramento Kings were expected to improve their playoff chances during this portion of their six-game road trip.

However, with no positive results so far, it is crucial for them to turn things around when they face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. The Kings (36-40) have suffered three consecutive losses and have only won one of their last eight games, putting their chances of making it to the Western Conference playoffs in jeopardy.

"We need to increase our intensity," said interim coach Doug Christie. "That is something that we have to bring to the court. We have to play at a certain level of intensity, especially against teams that are at the bottom of the league."

The Hornets (19-57) have also been struggling, losing six of their last seven games, including a 119-105 defeat against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

In their last eight losses, Charlotte has failed to score more than 106 points. Miles Bridges has been their top scorer in the past three games, but he only managed to score 18 points against the Pacers.

Friday's game marks the beginning of a three-game homestand for the Hornets, who will then play their final three games on the road.

The Kings are coming off a disappointing 116-111 loss to the Washington Wizards, a team with a worse record than the Hornets. Christie knows that his team needs to step up their game in Charlotte.

"We can't just expect to cruise through a game," he said.

The pressure is on for Friday's game, as the Kings will then face the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons on their upcoming road trip.

Veteran forward DeMar DeRozan has been the leading scorer for the Kings in the past three games and in five of their last seven games. He scored 29 points in the game against Washington, bringing his season average to 22.2 points per game.

The Hornets may not have playoff aspirations, but they still want to make the most of the remaining games of the season.

"It's always important to play the right way every time we step on the court," said Charlotte guard Seth Curry. "We don't want to waste these last few games. We want to keep playing well as a team, improving, and putting out good performances that we can build on for the future."

Charlotte may also be without a few key players for the game against the Kings. Damion Baugh suffered a fall in their last game and had to be helped off the court, while Josh Green was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a shoulder injury. The Hornets were already missing Taj Gibson (ill) and Nick Smith Jr. (ankle).

The Kings dominated the Hornets in their previous matchup on February 24, winning 130-88 with Zach LaVine scoring 42 points in just 31 minutes. Since then, no Kings player has scored more than 36 points in a game.

Bridges led the Hornets with 23 points in that game, while center Mark Williams, who has recorded double-doubles in the past three games, did not play. Williams has been shooting an impressive 61.5 percent from the field.

PREDICTION

Sacramento Kings

113

102

Charlotte Hornets

Sacramento vs. Charlotte Recap MAR 15TH 2021