The Charlotte Hornets are officially on a heater, and Sunday’s comeback win over the Pelicans might be their most telling performance yet. Down 22 points at one point, Charlotte didn’t just claw back-they stormed all the way through to make it seven straight wins, and in doing so, sent a clear message: this team’s recent surge is no fluke.
Let’s set the stage. The Hornets came into the game riding a six-game win streak, fresh off a national TV victory over the Spurs.
Confidence was high, but early on against New Orleans, it looked like the streak was in serious jeopardy. Charlotte trailed 64-49 at the half, and for anyone who's followed this team over the past few months, the script felt familiar-fall behind early, show flashes in the third, but ultimately fall short.
Not anymore.
This version of the Hornets is playing with a different kind of edge. There's momentum, yes-but more importantly, there’s belief.
There’s discipline. And when things got tough in the second half, Charlotte didn’t blink.
They tightened up defensively, got more surgical on offense, and slowly but surely chipped away until they turned a 22-point hole into a seven-point win.
That’s the kind of resilience you typically see from seasoned playoff teams-not a young squad still finding its identity. But that’s exactly what makes this stretch so significant. Over the last few weeks, the Hornets haven’t just been winning-they’ve been winning in different ways, against a variety of opponents, and under pressure.
Take a look at their last three games. Against Dallas, it came down to the final four seconds.
Against San Antonio, they were clinging to a two-point lead with 90 seconds left. And on Sunday, they faced their biggest deficit in weeks-and responded with their biggest comeback of the season.
At the heart of it all is LaMelo Ball. The Hornets’ star point guard had a moment early in the game that summed up the team’s grit.
While trying to save a loose ball in the first quarter, Ball collided head-first with head coach Charles Lee. It was a scary moment, but Ball returned a few minutes later and didn’t miss a beat, scoring 18 points in the first half alone.
His defining play came in the fourth quarter, when he threw down a two-handed slam with 10:30 to go-giving Charlotte the lead and setting the tone for the closing stretch.
But this isn’t just about LaMelo. The Hornets are getting meaningful contributions across the board.
Rookie Kon Knueppel continues to play with poise beyond his years, and Brandon Miller is showing the kind of maturity and shot selection that coaches dream about. The offense is humming with energy, and the team’s overall discipline-on both ends-is starting to look like a real foundation, not just a hot streak.
Beating teams like OKC, Denver, San Antonio, and now New Orleans isn’t just padding the win column. It’s proof that Charlotte can hang with anyone. And more importantly, they’re learning how to win in different ways-whether it’s a shootout, a grind-it-out finish, or a comeback from 20-plus down.
Seven straight wins. A growing sense of belief.
And a team that’s learning how to finish. The Hornets are no longer just a fun story-they’re becoming a real problem for the rest of the league.