The Charlotte Hornets walked into Monday night carrying a six-game losing streak, the league’s worst offense and a long injury list that left them without Dennis Schröder, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Moussa Diabaté and Grant Williams. On paper, it looked like a rough setup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Instead, Charlotte flipped the script.
The Hornets buried 23 threes, protected the ball well enough with just 14 turnovers and beat Cleveland 124-112 to pick up their first win of November. The victory came after a lead that once ballooned to 33 points shrank to eight in the fourth quarter, but Charlotte steadied itself and finished the job.
That kind of shooting night was exactly what the Hornets had been chasing. Through their first 10 games, they had been connecting on just 28.8% of their threes despite taking more attempts than anyone in the league.
On Monday, they finally looked like a team that had been waiting for the lid to come off. Charlotte went 21-for-41 from deep, and seven different players knocked down at least one triple.
Ryan Kalkbrenner didn’t fill the box score in a flashy way, but his impact was obvious. Starting in place of Moussa Diabaté, he finished with 15 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive glass. When the Cavaliers made their push in the fourth quarter, Kalkbrenner kept giving Charlotte extra possessions and grabbed four offensive boards during that stretch.
Tidjane Salaün also gave the Hornets a jolt in the second quarter. With the game still tight and Charlotte leading by only five, he sparked a personal 9-3 run against Cleveland and ended the half with 14 points, a new career-high for the first half. His second-quarter burst helped create the cushion Charlotte carried into the break, and even though he was quieter after that, the stretch stood out for a fan base that has been waiting to see that kind of scoring from him.
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Naz Reid Is Giving The Hornets Exactly What They Need
Naz Reid has settled into a much better rhythm for Charlotte since being benched by head coach Charles Lee, and the timing has mattered. Over his last six games, he has averaged 17.6 points while giving the Hornets a steadier scoring presence, something the team has needed with Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel still sidelined. His recent 25-point effort in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers was another sign that he is becoming more comfortable carrying a bigger load.
Charles Lee also had reason to be encouraged by the way Reid impacted both ends of the floor in that victory, especially with Charlotte trying to piece together offense without several key pieces. The Hornets are leaning on him as a primary option for now, and the question is whether this stretch is simply a hot run or the beginning of a more permanent role in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Losing Streak Is Putting Charlottes Biggest Weakness On Display
The Hornets six-game skid has done more than pile up losses, it has put their thinnest area in plain view. With multiple rotation pieces sidelined, Charlotte has had a harder time generating offense and even harder time surviving the night-to-night grind that comes with injuries, especially when the lineup keeps changing around them.
Kon Knueppel and Dennis Schrder are both dealing with hamstring injuries, while Brandon Miller is out with a groin issue, leaving the Hornets short on scoring and depth at the same time. For a team already searching for stability, the next stretch will be about managing those absences and hoping the roster can hold together long enough to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Suddenly Need These 3 Players To Keep The Season Afloat
Kon Knueppels latest setback leaves Charlotte trying to piece together its wing rotation again, and the timing could hardly be worse. The rookie had only just worked his way back after missing the first eight games, then lasted just six minutes against Brooklyn before the left hamstring strain forced him back out of the lineup.
With Knueppel out, the Hornets will have to lean harder on Grayson Allen, Sion James and Coby White to absorb the minutes and keep the offense moving. It puts more pressure on that group to stabilize a season that has already been tested by injuries, and it leaves Charlotte waiting to see how long it can hold things together without another key piece on the floor. [Read more 🡒]