Charlotte Hornets lose eighth straight, fall to Denver Nuggets

The Charlotte Hornets suffered their eighth straight defeat on Sunday night, falling to the Denver Nuggets by a final score of 119-115.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 31 points, while Nikola Jokic had 40 points to carry the Nuggets.

With the loss, the Hornets now sit at 7-23 through the season’s first 30 games.

What went right for the Charlotte Hornets?

LaMelo Ball continues to play well

LaMelo Ball posted a season high 31 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The third-year guard knocked down 47.6% of his shots (10/21) including 44.4% (4/9) from three-point range. He also went 100% (7/7) from the free throw line.

Free throw shooting

The Hornets were excellent from the free throw line, shooting 91.3% (21/23) as a team, their best mark in any game this season. Even including last night’s performance, the Hornets are still the fifth-worst free throw shooting team at just 74.4%.

What went wrong for the Charlotte Hornets?

Nikola Jokic had a monster night

Nikola Jokic had an absurd stat line of 40 points, 27 rebounds, and 10 assists on 50.0% shooting. Jokic recorded 20 rebounds in the first half alone, the most in any half by any player this season. The 27 rebounds are a new career high for Jokic, while the 40 points are his second-most in a game this season.

The injury bug bites again

Terry Rozier was forced to leave the game in the second quarter with what was described as a “right hip contusion”; he would not return. Already thin on guard depth in the absence of Dennis Smith Jr. and Cody Martin, the Hornets may be even more shorthanded if Rozier is forced to miss time.

What is next for the Charlotte Hornets?

Monday, December 19th – at Sacramento Kings (10:00 p.m.)