The Charlotte Hornets hosted the New Orleans Pelicans in the third game of their five-game homestand on Monday, March 21. With both teams coming into this game playing good basketball as of late, it was bound to be a tightly-contested battle.
Both teams came out playing tough defense and forcing turnovers. The first half was a worst-case scenario for the Hornets. Scoring 43 points in the first two frames, the Swarm found themselves trailing at the break by 6. Thanks to a higher-scoring, more-efficient effort in the second half, the Hornets came out on top, 106-103.
CJ McCollum led all scorers with 27 points, but with Charlotte having six players in double-digit points, the Pelicans just could not sustain their halftime lead. Although Charlotte scored well below their average number of points per game, they were victorious partially due to their efficiency. The Hornets connected on 50.6% of their shots for the game.
The Hornets shot better than the Pelicans from both the field and from three in this one. LaMelo Ball knocked down a floater in clutch time to ice the game for the home team. Isaiah Thomas also came up big for Charlotte, scoring 15 points in just 14 minutes, including a ridiculous, high-arching baseline and-1 jumper.
This win marks the fifth straight victory for the Hornets. They are slowly but surely climbing up the Eastern Conference standings at the perfect time. With only a handful of games remaining, this is the time to get hot.
The Swarm will host the New York Knicks on Wednesday, March 23, as they hope to continue their hot streak. If they can stay in rhythm, Charlotte should prepare to make a deep playoff push. With young talent on their side, Charlotte may be one of the most dangerous teams in the postseason.