Having lost 18 of their 19 contests prior to their Tuesday tiff versus the Phoenix Suns, the Charlotte Hornets looked on their way to another likely defeat.
However, what the Hornets had going for them was that the Suns have also been mired in a slump. In addition, the supposed Western Conference powerhouse was on the second night of a back-to-back, having beaten the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Still, Phoenix has three stars to throw at the Hornets, and although Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal haven't found the success expected of them in their brief time together, the trio was still a formidable threat.
Losing to Hornets may be the last straw for Suns
Charlotte, though, was the better team on Tuesday. It outpaced the opponents, hounded them on defense, and crashed the boards with gusto.
Booker did manage to score 39, making life tough for those who covered him because of his shot-making and possibly some help from the referees. Durant added 26 markers, but Miles Bridges made him earn his points.
Perhaps the story of the night for Phoenix was Beal.
The three-time All-Star has been neck-deep in trade rumors recently, as he appears to have been treated as the scapegoat for the Suns' struggles. His move to the bench has even been rationalized by some pundits as the franchise's way of trying to gain some leverage over Beal in trade discussions.
As many have pointed out, the former Washington Wizards star has a no-trade clause, which means Phoenix can't just ship him anywhere without his approval. The team has demoted him from the starting lineup, though, probably hoping that the decision would encourage him to sign off on any trade without too much of a fuss.
The Hornets bout was actually the second game Beal has played as a reserve this season. He did well against the Sixers, putting up a team-high 25 points. Tuesday was a different story, though, as Charlotte limited him to 10 points in 31 minutes.
Losing to one of the worst squads in the league may have given the Suns and their embattled star more impetus to push for his exodus as soon as possible.
It has become apparent that Phoenix is experiencing buyer's remorse with Beal, who was brought in for a hefty price to form a superteam. It seems Mat Ishbia had fallen prey to the "new owner syndrome" in the first months of his Suns ownership tenure. Hopefully, the Hornets' top brass can avoid the pitfall of gunning for similar high-risk win-now maneuvers.