Charlotte will try to snap a two-game losing streak when it opens a three-game road trip at Brooklyn on Sunday night. The Hornets had won five straight games prior to their recent losses against Phoenix and Orlando. Brooklyn snapped its four-game losing streak with a 115-105 upset win at Boston on Friday.
Charlotte put together its best stretch of the season when it rattled off five consecutive wins from the middle of February to the end of month. The Hornets beat the Hawks, Timberwolves and Heat during that impressive stretch after a 15-43 start to the year. However, their winning streak was overshadowed by the loss of star guard LaMelo Ball, who went down with a season-ending ankle injury in the final game of the winning streak. He has been the team’s top player this season, averaging 23.3 points, 8.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. His absence has been felt in the two games since he went down, as the Hornets have lost to Phoenix and Orlando.
.@KELLYOUBREJR with 29 PTS and 10 REB ?? pic.twitter.com/kCHVT55rlg
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 4, 2023
The Hornets were unable to cover the 10.5-point spread against the Suns and came up well short as 4-point favorites against the Magic on Friday night. They shot just 36.4% against Phoenix and were unable to overcome a 31-point outburst from Orlando’s Paolo Banchero. Ball had knocked down 27 3-pointers in his five games prior to the injury, so the Hornets have a lot of firepower to replace. Kelly Oubre Jr. led Charlotte with 29 points on Friday, while Terry Rozier added 22 points. They have been among the worst offensive teams in the NBA this season, ranked No. 24 in scoring (112.2). They are facing a Brooklyn defense that is No. 15 in points allowed per game (113.3).
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