Hornets fall to Celtics again. What we learned in Charlotte’s latest home setback
Steve Clifford pointed at referee Suyash Mehta for a timeout, then circled both arms in frustration while throwing an air punch.
The Charlotte Hornets coach was upset with his team being outworked again on the boards during the game’s critical juncture, and all he could do was vent his disgust and frustration. Yet another spotty performance filled with a flurry of peaks and valleys proved to be too much to overcome.
“Look, we have some things that I just … whatever,” Clifford said. “To me, when the shot goes up all five guys should be coming back to rebound. Defensive rebounding is a challenge for our team. We are not big, we are not overly physical.
“We have a habit of leaking out, as if you are going to get a layup. And it’s cost us two games. It wasn’t the only play tonight, but that was the play I was most upset at because it just doesn’t make any sense. And they’ve seen it, we’ve talked about it. And it leads directly to losing to me.”
In succumbing to Boston 130-118 at Spectrum Center on Monday afternoon — and hearing a sellout crowd serenade a visiting player with “MVP” chants — the Hornets continued their downward spiral. They never did enough to come close to avenging their loss to the Celtics two nights earlier, similar to what happened to them in Toronto when they dropped successive matchups in three days against the Raptors.
“It’s definitely disappointing because you prepare from the last game and see what you can do better,” Jalen McDaniels said, “but for some reason we let a couple of plays slip away, a few tip outs and they got easy threes. So, game plan or not, if you are not boxing out and they are getting easy threes, you are going to lose.”
That’s been a common theme for the Hornets (11-34) and reversing that trend is a chore.
“We all just have to have a sense of urgency and be on the same page,” McDaniels said. “It can’t be just the five of us that want to change it. It’s got to be the whole 15, all 30, with the staff, too. We’ve got to all be on the same page of wanting to change it and flip it so we can have a better second half of the season. So I feel like we all have to start coming together, stay positive and work through it.”
Here are some key takeaways from the Hornets’ fourth straight loss:
McDaniels’ career night wasted
An unusually early tip off for their Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee didn’t affect McDaniels.
McDaniels fueled the Hornets on an afternoon during which LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier took a while to warm up. McDaniels poured in a career-best 26 points, with 18 coming in the first half — the most he’s ever totaled in a half during his three-plus seasons.
He was hot from 3-point range, tossing in a career-high five makes, and that spurred him to his largest output since posting 24 against the Celtics in November. McDaniels also defended Boston star Jayson Tatum and fared like most. There was a play in the first half where McDaniels was draped all over Tatum, yet Tatum still canned a deep 3-pointer.
“He’s a really good defender and I like how competitive he is, taking on the challenge,” said Tatum, who roasted the Hornets for 51 points with 31 coming in the second half. “He’s about my height, long arms. For me, any time I get some space, far and few between, I get wide-open looks. Any time somebody’s hands are down, coaches and teammates tell me to shoot it. That one was different. That was a lot of movement for a 6-9 guy right there.”
Rotational chairs
Two games after switching things up with his reserve center rotation, coach Steve Clifford altered his thinking against the Celtics.
Rather than going with Nick Richards as the backup behind starter Mason Plumlee, Mark Williams was given the assignment of contending with Boston’s Robert Williams III. Mark Williams had registered appearances in nine straight outings before notching a DNP-Coach’s decision in the Hornets’ loss in Toronto on Thursday.
Mark Williams was effective in his 17 minutes, notching nine points and six rebounds while trying to clog up the lane defensively and keep the Celtics from getting so many easy looks inside the paint. But he hasn’t necessarily leaped over Richards.
“I want those guys both to play,” Clifford said. “I think they’re both a big part of the future. I think they both are really good players. I’ve even spent time thinking about playing all three of (the centers). But guys have to play enough minutes so they can play well. If you play all three, it becomes kind of like intramurals.
“I’ve explained to them both, I think they’re both good players, they’re both developing. They’re both learning as we go. But I’m not going to just sit one, which stinks both of them. But I don’t want to go like 15 games and not play somebody. They’re both talented guys, and they’ve both played well. It’s not ideal for them, but it’s a good place for the organization to be when you have two young guys who both have a chance to be good players.”
No-go for Martin
The Hornets’ contingent in street clothes on the bench had a surprise addition.
Cody Martin sat out with left knee soreness. Martin was on the floor for pregame warmups during his normal window, trying to see if he could give it a go. But apparently the soreness didn’t subside enough, causing Martin to be sidelined for the 28th time.
Martin’s absence paired with Gordon Hayward missing his seventh straight game with left hamstring soreness had the Hornets thin at small forward. Coach Steve Clifford went with Bryce McGowens as the backup behind McDaniels, inserting the rookie in for meaningful action since Dec. 11 against Philadelphia.
That was the last occasion McGowens logged more than four minutes over the past month-plus. He could be on the floor more if things linger for Martin.
“He was sore the other night after the game,” Clifford said. “He played quite a few minutes and it’s different when you jump from training into game intensity and I think he’s really sore. And so we just want to make sure. We need him obviously and we don’t want him getting hurt again.”
This story was originally published January 16, 2023 at 3:35 PM.
