‘I know it’s frustrating for fans’: What Charlotte Hornets said amid their six-game skid

Friday morning, Steve Clifford watched game film from the Charlotte Hornets’ four-point loss to the Denver Nuggets.

He noticed that the Hornets had their chances to knock off the eventual NBA champions in that April game at Spectrum Center, but ultimately, two-time MVP Nikola Jokic proved to be too much for them.

The Hornets (7-19), in the midst of a six-game losing streak, spent much of Friday’s practice working on moves in the post ahead of their matchup against the Nuggets at 7 p.m. Saturday.

“I hope people understand that I know it’s frustrating for fans,” Clifford said after practice. “It’s hard obviously for everybody else, but the players — our players really want to win badly.

“I get to see their disappointment, their frustration after losses. It’s not easy when you lose.”

Forward Brandon Miller, who scored 21 points in Wednesday’s loss to Indiana, said a key to slowing down Denver (19-10, 3rd in the Western Conference) on Saturday will be limiting fouls and avoiding foul trouble early.

The Hornets have played the Nuggets competitively in recent memory, though Denver has claimed their last three meetings.

“Everybody is a leader,” Miller told reporters Friday. “We know what’s wrong; What’s right. We know what the objective is going to be in every game — to play as hard as we can. I think that’s the biggest thing, everybody’s a leader.”

Here’s what else the Charlotte Hornets said ahead of their matchup with the reigning champions:

On the road ahead

“If you look at the next seven, it doesn’t get much tougher than this,” Clifford said. “[Saturday] could be a good way to start.”

The Hornets begin a West Coast road trip Tuesday that includes matchups with the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. After Saturday, they won’t be home again until the new year, on Jan. 8 against Chicago.

“This is just another game to us,” Miller said. “We’re gonna go in, play as hard as we can with all the confidence we have. Just go out there and try to get a win.”

On Nick Richards

“Richards is doing a good job,” Clifford said. “It’s hard, because he’s now playing against starters every night; His minutes have gone way up. So, it’s a lot different role but he’s doing a good job.”

In 19 minutes on Wednesday, Richards tied his season-high with six offensive rebounds. The Hornets’ backup center has been playing increased minutes amid Mark Williams’ back injury, about which Clifford said he did not have any update.