Coach Charles Lee and the team address the "missed opportunity" and the shooting woes that led to a 94-87 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers despite the national spotlight and the pre-game buzz generated by the ESPN broadcast. By DIAMOND VENCES
These frigid conditions in the southeast are doing little to cool off the Charlotte Hornets.
After pounding the Memphis Grizzlies 112-97 at FedEx Forum on Wednesday night, the Hornets are in the midst of their longest winning streak in two years and coming together at just the right time: with less than a week remaining before the NBA trade deadline next Thursday.
With LaMelo Ball in the starting lineup on the first end of a back-to-back, Charlotte rode a balanced scoring attack highlighted by 26 points from Brandon Miller and Moussa Diabate’s 18 points and 19 rebounds.
“We talked about after the game — a ton of accomplishments,” coach Charles Lee said. “Congratulated them, thanked them for all the effort that they are giving, but we’ve got to remain hungry and humble as we continue on this journey.”
The last time the Hornets (20-28) won this many games in a row was in 2024, when they rattled off four consecutive victories from Feb. 10-22, including a triumph over Memphis. They haven’t strung together five or more wins since 2022-23.
They’ve already emerged victorious in more games this season than in all of 2024-25 and there are still 34 games left. Throw in the 12 road wins, and it shows things might be going in the right direction.
“It’s a testament to them and their mindset and their daily work they’re doing to come prepared for these games,” Lee said. “Going on the road, obviously, a lot of hostile environments, but it takes a little bit more competitiveness, a little bit more preparation.
“But also the togetherness of the group is really important on the road. As you face adversity, you want to be able to rely on the guy next to you. And so I think that’s what our group does.”
Here’s what else the Hornets had to say of note in Memphis:
On how Brandon Miller takes ownership of his development:
Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets. Jacob Kupferman Getty Images
“I think that he’s really gone to another level with being obsessed with trying to improve his body and be able to get through an 82-game season or longer,” Lee said, “(and) also to deal with a lot of the physicality that he sees. (He’s) taking ownership of his development … and his overall film preparation, how he’s coming to the court, his relationship with his teammates to be able to hold them more accountable during games or encourage them during games.
“His communication level continues to improve. Would love to see it improve in pick-and-roll coverages, too, but in a lot of other areas, I think that he’s really making great strides. The last part is just his overall competitiveness. I think he is understanding the importance of himself as a leader, doing it by example, in terms of being an elite two-way guard. He’s taking on the best matchups. Offensively, he’s carried the load to have to score, but also continued to playmake at the right level, too.”
On why Moussa Diabate is so likable:
“He plays so hard,” Lee said. “If you are a basketball fan or are a junkie of the game, you can appreciate someone that plays that hard on every possession. You love his story of his journey to get to this point. Then when you sit down with him and have a conversation, you love him even more. An unbelievable human being and competitor.”
On how pace plays a role in the Hornets’ strategy:
“Pace is a big part of our identity,” Lee said. “Offensively, continuing to do it at the beginning of the clock as well as the end of the clock. Pace isn’t always just coming down and jacking the first shot you see. ‘Can we get the ball over half court by a certain time? Can we get to the scoring area? Can we sprint into screens early in the clock, late in the clock?’
“Pace is in a lot of different facets of our offense. The part that I’ve been really impressed with by our group, and we keep growing, is our ability to share the ball with pace as well. The last piece of that is we have to take care of the ball as we continue to share it, too. I’m willing to live with some of the turnovers if we’re trying to make the right plays for our teammates.”