What Steve Clifford said after Charlotte Hornets loss to Indiana pushes losing streak to six
Whether it’s internationally, or domestic soil, things just can’t seem to get right for the Charlotte Hornets.
An early lost season continued with a 144-113 defeat to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday night, ending a winless trip that began in Toronto and pushing the Hornets’ losing streak to six games.
Not even the return of Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges after their respective absences could spark the Hornets enough to keep up with the Pacers and the NBA’s most lethal scoring attack. Having dropped eight of their past nine games, aided by a roster in constant flux due to injuries, the Hornets are in a deep swoon with no signs of breaking out of it.
Especially with a razor thin margin.
“We don’t have a lot of room for error, our guys know that,” coach Steve Clifford said. “And those stretches again, the weak fouls, the second-chance points, the not getting matched up, it just weighs on you and it takes its toll.”
Here’s what else Clifford had to say about the Hornets (7-19) and where things stand:
On not being able to stop the Pacers’ potent offense
“Listen, they are a handful and they were good,” Clifford said. “They were coming off a tough game and you could tell right from the beginning they were on it. So even the first quarter was our best quarter and they had 31. The last two minutes of the first half were critical. We were right there (until) going down nine. And we never could make it hard on them defensively.
“It’s frustrating when we are fouling like that, the offensive rebounds — it just weighs on you.”
On Terry Rozier
“He’s playing great,” Clifford said. “He’s our most physical player. He’s our best competitor by far and he’s playing great.”
On Brandon Miller drawing nine charges in 23 games
“He really does it on his own,” Clifford said. “He puts his body in front of the ball. He had two the other night, one really good one. But he’s done it from Day One. And some guys do it, some guys don’t. And he’s very good at it.”
On Bryce McGowens’ improvement this season
“Good progress,” Clifford said. “He’s been good also. His defense the other night was very good also and he’s a hard worker. He’s made steady progress since he’s been here and every time he gets an opportunity he’s been good.”
