The Hornets haven’t forgot about last year. They vow there won’t be a repeat in Atlanta
As the resident postseason expert on the roster and a team leader, Terry Rozier tried to make his point clear.
On more than a few occasions over the weeks and months leading into Sunday, the Charlotte Hornets veteran guard delivered a message to his younger teammates, ensuring they understood the gravity and thrill of the NBA postseason. The last thing Rozier wanted is for their opportunity to be squandered and that’s why he’s stayed in their ears as much as possible.
After polishing off Washington 124-108 and putting the final touches on a 43-win season that placed them 10th in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets are about to get that chance. They are play-in tournament bound, headed to Atlanta for a date with the ninth-seeded Hawks at State Farm Arena on Wednesday night.
If they can get past Atlanta, then a game in either Brooklyn or Cleveland awaits with the winner to claim the eighth seed and the right to play top-seeded Miami in the first round.
“It’s huge, it’s huge,” Rozier said. “These first two games, treat them like road games, the play-ins. But we feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs. And then when you get to the playoffs it’s like I know once we get in there, everybody is going to be itching and they are going to love where they are at.
“Because this is where the real fun is. The regular season is fine. But this is where the real competitiveness, the real fun comes from, being in the play-in, the playoffs. But really the playoffs.”
Getting it done on the road is the Hornets’ lone path to cracking into the eight-team field and catapulting themselves further than they went a year ago, when they lost to Indiana in the first round of the play-in tournament. They were also the 10th seed then, punching a postseason ticket with a losing record.
But in building a 43-39 mark that included a 21-20 showing on the road this season, the Hornets posted the most victories by a team that finished 10th in its conference since the Seattle Supersonics went 44-38 in 2000-01.
“Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed — most years,” coach James Borrego said. “But this year the East was more competitive and really good. It got better and we got better. We have a chance to keep moving forward. Our season is not over. We have a chance to make the playoffs and have a meaningful game on the road and I am excited for our group.
“They have fought together throughout the year and I am really proud of this group. That is all I can ask.”
Avoiding a repeat performance of last year’s play-in tournament and dropping into a cavernous hole early is among the items at the forefront of the Hornets’ thoughts, especially given Trae Young’s hot streaks. The Hornets insist their lethargic start taught them a valuable lesson and know that can’t happen against the Hawks.
“Just come in and be ready straight from the jump,” LaMelo Ball said. “Definitely a different atmosphere than the normal season, so got to be ready and remember what the Pacers did to us last year. So, take that game real seriously.”
At least they’ve done that during this past week. Riding a three-game winning streak has the Hornets feeling better about their outlook than they did around this time a season ago. The mood is different, creating a more positive vibe, sparked by a run over the past month that put visions of their nightmarish performance against the Pacers in the rearview mirror.
“The end of the season last year,” Rozier said, “I think we lost six straight, five straight, something like that. I think it was kind of lingering going into the play-in. This year we’re playing possibly our best basketball. So, just want to have carryover. Last year was last year. We don’t get caught up in what happened last year. This is a new year, this is a new team. So we’re going to have a better effort.”
