The Charlotte Hornets took another hit in their matchup with the Boston Celtics when Brandon Miller left the game with groin soreness midway through the second quarter.
Charlotte was already playing without Kon Knueppel because of a hamstring problem, and Miller’s exit only made the frontcourt situation more precarious. By the time he headed to the locker room, the Hornets were trailing 47-23.
Before leaving, Miller had put up eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. He also added two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 14 minutes.
Miller has opened the season with strong production, averaging 22 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, both career highs. But his shot has not been falling with the same consistency. He’s shooting 36% from the field and 26.7% from 3-point range.
With Miller and Knueppel unavailable, Charlotte’s options on the wing and in the frontcourt have thinned out to Royce O'NEale, Tidjane Salaun and rookie Hannes Steinbach.
The groin issue adds another injury concern to Miller’s career. He has already had surgery to repair injuries in his right wrist and left shoulder during his four-year NBA career.
Even with that history, the Hornets committed to him long term, signing Miller to a five-year, $209 million contract extension. Charlotte sees him as one of its core pieces alongside Knueppel as it builds after trading away LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the 3-6 Hornets, the hope now is that Miller’s latest setback is minor and doesn’t keep him out for long.
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Hornets Fans Have Every Reason To Panic About This Start
The early stretch has been rough enough in Charlotte to make even patient observers uneasy. The Hornets have stumbled through a poor start marked by heavy losses, a low offensive rating and an offense that has struggled to find any real rhythm, especially at point guard. Injuries have only made the picture murkier, leaving the team short on answers while it waits for healthier bodies and a few new contributors to settle in.
For now, the concern is less about one bad night than the shape of the whole opening month. The Hornets have been getting buried on the scoreboard and have not shown much consistency on either end, which is a dangerous place to be this early. There is still time for the return of injured players and some internal improvement to change the mood, but right now the start has given fans every reason to worry about how deep this slide could go. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Hit Another Low As Brandon Miller Concern Grows
Bostons visit only deepened a rough stretch for Charlotte, which was overwhelmed from the start in a 119-80 loss as Jayson Tatum poured in 34 points and Derrick White and Payton Pritchard added steady support. The Hornets never found much rhythm offensively, and the margin kept widening as the game wore on, leaving another flat night for a team searching for answers.
The bigger concern for Charlotte came with Brandon Miller, who exited at halftime because of right groin soreness. For a team already trying to steady itself after another lopsided defeat, any issue involving one of its most important young players adds a layer of unease, especially with the offense already struggling to generate much of anything. [Read more 🡒]
Tatums Big Night May Have Clarified A Celtics Lineup Call
Bostons visit to Charlotte turned into a one-sided NBA Cup night almost immediately, with Jayson Tatum setting the tone in a game the Celtics controlled from the opening minutes. Boston jumped out to an 18-4 run and never let the Hornets find much rhythm, rolling to a 119-80 win behind Tatums all-around impact and a defense that kept the margin comfortable for most of the night.
For Charlotte, the game also came with another concern when Brandon Miller left in the second quarter with groin soreness and did not return. The Hornets were already chasing a game that had slipped away early, and Millers exit only deepened the challenge as they tried to regroup against a Celtics team that looked settled in every phase. [Read more 🡒]