The Charlotte Hornets have won seven straight games for the first time in nearly a decade. Their latest dub may have been the most satisfying yet, as they had to face a kind of adversity they had not had during that stretch: coming back from a 20-point deficit.
Of course, the Hornets' other wins were pretty impressive. Three were blowouts, which included building a 50-point lead before holding the Philadelphia 76ers to 93 points, the fewest they have allowed this season. Also deserving of recognition are their clutch victory over the Dallas Mavericks while withstanding Cooper Flagg's [career-high 49 points](https://swarmandsting.com/kon-knueppel-cooper-flagg-prediction-proved-ominous-hornets) and their defensive masterclass on Victor Wembanyama in their close win versus the San Antonio Spurs.
Hornets showing resilience
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Charlotte's successful rally over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday was different, though. It could have easily folded and called it a day after a 3-pointer by Trey Murphy III put the Pelicans up 56-34 late in the second quarter.
The Hornets got their act together after the break. Their defense resulted in an 18-point quarter on 6-20 shooting for New Orleans and trimmed a 64-49 halftime deficit to a more surmountable 82-78 hole by the end of the third period.
The Pelicans had an even more hellish experience in the final frame as they hit just four of their 18 field-goal attempts. Only Zion Williamson was able to score multiple times. Meanwhile, Charlotte also had a rough offensive quarter but was buoyed by Ryan Kalkbrenner's torching of the opponent's frontcourt with a stat line of six points, four rebounds, and two blocks in over seven minutes.
LaMelo Ball deserved to bring home the game ball after he overcame an early injury due to literally clashing heads with his coach, Charles Lee, at the sidelines while trying to save an errant pass from falling out of bounds. He may not have had his finest shooting performance, going 3-14 from beyond the arc, but his 18 points in the first half kept the Hornets from sinking into an unassailable hole. It was also the star's poster dunk after blowing by Yves Missi that gave them the lead for good early in the fourth period. Oh, and he had a plus/minus of +24 in their 102-95 win.
The Hornets just have so many weapons, especially when the league's [best five-man lineup](https://swarmandsting.com/hornets-quietly-cracked-code-end-postseason-drought) takes to the court, to extend their winning streak, as they have proven not just on Monday but also during their past seven contests. Even a massive deficit was not enough to faze them, and that confidence should help them in their road matchup against the Houston Rockets on Thursday.