Charlotte Hornets snap 10-game skid with big win over Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
The reinvigorated Charlotte Hornets earned a triumphant victory in their return home Tuesday night, ending a 10-game losing streak.
Charlotte’s 115-104 win over the Phoenix Suns marks just the eighth time in roughly a year that LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams — who comprise Charlotte’s “Core Four” — took the floor together.
Their presence was felt early.
The Hornets led for most of the night, outscoring the Suns, 37-17, during the second quarter. The 20-point margin marks their best point differential in any quarter this season.
“We truly have a group — from the players to the staff, front office, literally everyone — that is obsessed with daily improvement,” Charlotte head coach Charles Lee said. “It’s a joy to come into work. I’m happy for them because they’ve stuck with it, stuck with each other through some adversity. I think this shows what we’re capable of.
“We have enough in that locker room when it comes to talent. We have enough in that locker room when it comes to competitiveness. We just have to sustain it for four quarters. We did that tonight, and we need to continue to just stack good days over good days, and we’ll come out on the other side of all of it.”
It had been nearly a month since the Hornets’ last win, coming Dec. 8 in Indianapolis with a victory over the Pacers. Charlotte, which had dropped 18 of its past 19 games entering Tuesday, was looking to avoid losing 11 in a row.
Ball led the way with a 32-point night — knocking down five 3-pointers — while energizing the 16,647 inside Spectrum Center.
“It’s great just to have everybody back,” Ball said. “Nobody likes losing, especially consecutively like that — L after L after L. It was definitely our time to get a win, and we’re just going to try to use that energy to get another win, then go from there.”
Bridges, who played a team-high 37 minutes, dropped 21 points in the victory. Backup center Nick Richards contributed 15 points off the bench, while Miller added 13 points of his own.
“Our fans have been showing up for us this whole year, despite the losses,” Bridges said. “Shout-out to Buzz City. These fans deserve it, for us to go out there and play hard every day and every game. Hopefully we can give them some more wins.”
Phoenix star Devin Booker poured in 39 points to lead all scorers, and Kevin Durant scored 26 points on 8 of 18 shots.
Bryce Young, Shaq Thompson in the Hornets’ building
A pair of Carolina Panthers were cheering on their fellow Charlotte athletes on Tuesday.
Quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Shaq Thompson were shown on the video board to the Spectrum Center crowd multiple times throughout the night.
“It’s good seeing what they’re doing for the city of Charlotte,” Bridges said. “Bryce (Young) told me he liked my music, so that comment meant a lot to me. I went to a few (Panthers) games this year, and I’m happy to see them come in and support us.”
Lee’s a ‘great, great guy’
“Charles (Lee) is a very, very special person,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said of Lee, who started his professional coaching career on his staff in Atlanta. “I just could not be happier for him. I think about how much he helped me: Were both probably pretty young going through this, and we’ve both grown. He’s a great coach; He’s an even better person.
“His ability to communicate with players, hold players accountable, help them grow and improve. Now taking that to the head coaching position, it’s been fun for me to observe from a distance, have phone calls and conversations with him. I just love him. Great, great guy.”
What’s next for Charlotte?
Charlotte heads west to begin a five-game road trip starting in Los Angeles. The Hornets play the Lakers at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, and will also meet the Clippers, Suns (9 p.m. Sunday), Jazz and Bulls before returning home to host the Dallas Mavericks at noon Jan. 20.
This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM.
