NBA Playoff Schedule 2016: Tip Times, TV Network Coverage and More for Saturday

Both the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers are hoping a little home cooking on Saturday can rejuvenate their floundering postseason campaigns. 

The Hornets are down 2-0 against the Miami Heat, while the Blazers are in a 2-0 hole against the Los Angeles Clippers.

If the Hornets and Blazers have their way, their respective series records will at least resemble those of the other two postseason series set to continue on Saturday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to build off a big 29-point Thursday win over the Dallas Mavericks and go up 3-1 in the series. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors are hoping to make it three wins in a row over the Indiana Pacers after dropping Game 1 of the series at home on April 16. Here are the start times, TV coverage info and odds for Saturday’s NBA playoff action.

Note: Odds are via Odds Shark and updated as of Saturday, April 23 at 8 a.m. ET.

Oddsmakers Giving Charlotte A Chance at Home

Despite getting blown out 123-91 in Game 1 and losing Game 2 by 12 points, the Hornets are slim favorites heading into a must-win Game 3 at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

The Hornets defense has been awful in this series, allowing a Heat team playing without the services of forward Chris Bosh to put up 238 combined points in two games. The Charlotte Observer’s Scott Fowler noted Miami is putting up those points with frightening ease: 

With only Wade remaining from that trio for this series, Miami has shot a shade over 57 percent in both games. And get this—the Heat is scoring at a clip of 1.32 points per possession in this series.

How good is that? Well, Golden State led the NBA this season in that category, at 1.13. Miami has been “Warriors East,” bombing in shots from 3-point range (53 percent), dunking them from in close or watching Wade create in the paint.

Slowing down the likes of Dwyane Wade (28 points in Game 2) and Luol Deng (31 points in Game 1) will be crucial in Game 3, as things aren’t likely to get easier for the Hornets on offense with forward Nicolas Batum ruled out for the contest with a left foot sprain, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

Batum scored 24 points in Game 1 but struggled in Game 2 before injuring his foot in the fourth quarter. The lengthy Frenchman’s ability to clog passing lanes will also be missed.

For Charlotte to have success in Game 3, the three-point shooting will have to improve. The team shot 1-of-16 in …

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