San Antonio @ Charlotte preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 14, 2019 ) Charlotte 108, San Antonio 93

The Charlotte Hornets looked content to slide out of the postseason race and into the lottery during a stretch of 13 losses in 18 games but came roaring back to life over the last three contests with some impressive victories. The Hornets will try to make it four in a row when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

Charlotte knocked off Minnesota and Boston at home before going to Toronto and earning a dramatic, last-second victory when Jeremy Lamb's half-court heave splashed through at the buzzer for a 115-114 triumph on Sunday. "That's just how we drew it up," Hornets coach James Borrego told reporters. "They're a great defense - so long, (That shot) was just a contested bomb and he got it up there. He gave it a run and that thing went in." The Spurs are fighting for the best possible seed in a crowded Western Conference and enter play on Monday in the No. 8 spot, but only one game behind the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers. San Antonio won nine straight before falling to the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets but got back in the win column by letting All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge guide it past the slumping Celtics.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (San Antonio), FS Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE SPURS (43-31): Aldridge poured in 48 points on 20-of-31 shooting and added 13 rebounds and six assists in a dominant performance on Sunday to lead San Antonio to a 115-96 victory. Aldridge was held to 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting and four boards in the 111-105 loss at Houston on Friday but had no trouble against a Boston squad missing three rotation players in the frontcourt. Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan joined Aldridge with a double-double (16 points, 11 assists) on Sunday and he is averaging 8.3 assists over the last four contests.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (34-39): Charlotte enters play on Monday two games behind the eighth-place Miami Heat but will play six of the final eight games on the road after finishing up with the Spurs. The Hornets improved to 11-24 away from home with Sunday's victory, during which they knocked down 18 3-pointers - 10 in the third quarter. "I couldn't be prouder of them," Borrego told reporters of his players. "I'm so happy for them. They deserve this win. They battled, they're sticking together, playing for each other. ... I was just proud of them on both ends of the floor. We figured out a way to close out a close game on the road."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hornets SF Nicolas Batum (illness) missed the last two games and is day-to-day.

2. Spurs SG Marco Belinelli is 1-of-8 from 3-point range over the last two games and is shooting 31.9 percent from beyond the arc in March.

3. Charlotte earned a 108-93 win at San Antonio on Jan. 14 behind 33 points from PG Kemba Walker.

PREDICTION: Spurs 109, Hornets 101