Charlotte Hornets: Latest close loss hurts tremendously

The Charlotte Hornets couldn’t get it done against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in double overtime, which ended up being a crushing loss in many ways.

It was quite a roller coaster of a game against the Brooklyn Nets yesterday night in Brooklyn, but in the end, the Charlotte Hornets came up short and are now below the .500 mark.

This was a really tough loss for Charlotte, considering the team had plenty of opportunities to close it out and get the win. Not being able to close out games seems to have become a pattern for the Charlotte Hornets at this point.

Looking back at the fourth quarter, Kemba Walker put the Hornets up by one at the foul line, and if he doesn’t foul DeMarre Carroll afterwards, the Hornets probably win this game. Carroll went on to make one out of three free-throws, sending the game into overtime.

Towards the end of the second overtime, Malik Monk had the ball in his hands with a chance to take the lead and potentially win the game. He ended up losing the ball after Rodions Kurucs locked him up defensively, which gave Joe Harris a wide open layup to give the Nets the win. It was a heartbreaking ending for the Hornets.

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The best thing you can do is brush it off and prepare physically and mentally for Friday’s rematch against Brooklyn in Charlotte. However, it’s tough not to think about everything that went wrong for Charlotte. This loss could end up being big in terms of seeding later on in the season, as both the Hornets and Nets continue to fight for playoff positioning.

Plus, it was yet another close loss. This team has suffered in crunch time throughout the year, and it must be deflating. They looked rattled offensively and the Nets made all the hustle plays. Brooklyn deserved to win, while Charlotte deserved to lose.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Washington Wizards, which mean they have moved past the Charlotte Hornets in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hornets now own the seventh seed and have the same record as the eighth seeded Miami Heat. Brooklyn is right behind both teams and have gone 9-1 over the past 10 games.

You don’t want to continue to drop down the standings. Each and every single game counts, especially when it’s against a team that is also in the playoff hunt.

This was quite a dramatic game. Fans went from drooling over Malik Monk’s wicked behind the back move on Jared Dudley to criticizing him for turning the ball over late. The young man is learning and you can’t place this loss solely on his shoulders.

What makes things worse is that Charlotte’s schedule over the next 10 games is going to be a challenging test. They do have some winnable games, but they’ll have to play some tough teams such as the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

The Hornets will be hungry for revenge on Friday night in a rematch against the Nets. It will be an important game for Charlotte, and a game that they must bounce back and win.