Hornets’ three-game winning streak crumbles on a bad shooting night at home
Much as the Charlotte Hornets’ defense has improved of late, but there was no overcoming this offense Saturday.
The Hornets’ three-game winning streak came to end, scoring just 63 points in the first three quarters, to fall behind by 25 in a 115-86 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The Hornets made 31-of-88 (35 percent) from the field.
Leading scorer Devonte Graham (17.8 points per game) made just one of his 10 shots before heading to the bench midway through the fourth quarter. Graham finished with six points Saturday after going scoreless in Thursday’s road victory over the Chicago Bulls.
The Hornets’ three consecutive victories all came on the road. The Hornets are just 8-18 this season at Spectrum Center.
Nice buzz
Malik Monk continued the hottest streak of his NBA career with 12 first-half points (15 overall). Monk was coming off back-to-back 25-point games. One of the key improvements for Monk the past month has been earning trips to the foul line. He took four free throws in the first half Saturday.
Bee stings
Although the defense was dramatically better of late (an NBA-best 0.935 points per possession allowed in the three-game win streak), the Hornets’ half-court offense was brutal Saturday. Starters Graham and P.J. Washington combined to miss their first eight shots.
Rookie Washington recovered, finishing 6-of-13 for 16 points. Graham has made one of his past 18 attempts from the field.
Building blocks
Rookie Jalen McDaniels, a late second-round pick who spent most of the season with the Greensboro Swarm, played in his fifth consecutive game Saturday. Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said Wednesday he anticipates McDaniels and Caleb Martin, an undrafted rookie, to be in Charlotte the rest of the season.
Beyond the numbers
The Hornets’ schedule doesn’t exactly get easy the rest of the way, but the worst of the travel is certainly over. They have only two sets of games on back-to-back nights the rest of the way, and Saturday was the first of 16 remaining home games.
Both West Coast trips were relatively early in the season, and the trip to Paris to play the Milwaukee Bucks is behind them.
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 9:14 PM.
