The set-up: Just when it looked as if the OKC Thunder were finding their groove, the team has lost three straight games, all by at least 11 points. Wednesday's 104-88 setback at Minnesota was the most lopsided of the bunch and the now 22-20 Thunder, who are just 1 1/2 games inside the West's playoff 'cut line,' will look to snap what's been an 'ugly' three-game skid by winning Saturday night in Charlotte. The 16-24 Hornets won 116-103 at Oklahoma City last month (Dec. 11) but then proceeded to lose five of their next six games. However, they've recovered to win five of their last eight, including Friday's 99-88 triumph over Utah in the second contest of their three-game homestand. Kemba Walker followed a 41-point performance in a loss to Dallas with 22 against the Jazz, as Charlotte improved to only 11-11 at home.

Oklahoma City: "We've got to lock in and get a win," Thunder guard Russell Westbrook told reporters after recording 38 points and 10 rebounds in the recent loss to Minnesota. "That's all I can say." Westbrook is averaging 25.1-9.6-10.0, while George chips in 20.7 & 5.5 and Anthony (17.6 & 5.8). Is this combo really working? Oklahoma City is a lackluster 9-8 against teams that currently are seven or more games below .500, a group that will include the Hornets on Saturday. "We were just going out there and playing, and when we got punched, it was like, 'Oh, we got punched. Let's punch back. Let's start fighting back,'" Carmelo Anthony told reporters. "A lot of times when you give teams - those types of teams - that confidence, it's hard to fight out of that hole, because you have to make all the right plays, make every shot, and we can't rely on that." Anthony always seems to be well versed in why his teams are not be successful.

Charlotte: Walker is averaging 24.8 points while making 39.5 percent of his three-point attempts over his last five games and he has made at least three 3-pointers in four consecutive home contests. Walker is having another very good season (21.8 & 5.8 APG) but while Dwight Howard is averaging a double-double on the season (15.5 & 12.2), wasn't he supposed to make this team better? As with the Thunder, just when things seemed to be trending in a positive direction, the Hornets dropped the opener of a three-game homestand, 115-111 to sad-sack Dallas on Wednesday night. Charlotte did bounce back with a 99-88 home win over Utah on Friday, but the game result took a back seat to better news the team received earlier in the day. Head coach Steve Clifford, who left the team on Dec. 6 for health reasons, announced he would return to his coaching duties starting Tuesday at practice.

The pick: Westbrook has recorded at least a double-double in 12 consecutive contests but the Thunder continue to be an inconsistent group. They own excellent victories (as against Houston and Toronto around Christmas time), but regularly toss in ugly losses along the way (see above). Charlotte's Dec. 11 victory in OKC was its third consecutive win over the Thunder in a series that OKC has otherwise dominated, as the Thunder had won 11 straight before the three-game skid. There's no doubt OKC has more talent than Charlotte plus going against the Hornets, who played last night and have gone just 18-42 at home when unrested the last six-plus seasons, could make sense. However, can we (anyone?) really trust OKC? I will say make the Over an 8* play.