The Charlotte Hornets entered their Monday bout versus the Houston Rockets, hoping to snap their four-game losing streak. There was a tinge of optimism because the lowly Eastern Conference club won its season opener on the road versus what is now a top Western Conference contender.
Charlotte defeated the Rockets 110-105 behind LaMelo Ball's impressive return from a lengthy layoff. Things are much different now, though, as the Hornets are missing ace reserve Tre Mann, and Houston has developed into one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Hornets veteran Vasilije Micic knew what his squad was going to face on Monday, even sending his teammates a message before tip-off.
Hornets couldn't match Rockets in the first half
It's unclear if Charlotte listened to the Serbian point guard or just didn't have any answer for the Rockets before intermission.
Micic told reporters that he had watched the opponents on Sunday, noting their physicality and energy. He also said the Hornets had to match the physicality and be creative or resourceful on offense to have a chance of getting a victory before the Christmas break.
Unfortunately, they couldn't keep up early on. Houston ran to an 8-0 lead before Charles Lee had to call a timeout. Regrouping appeared to rejuvenate the team, as it rallied to pull within 12-10 behind Mark Williams' 3-point play and Ball scoring its next seven points.
However, that's where it all went downhill for the Hive.
The Rockets went on another run to go up 26-10 before settling for a 31-15 margin to end the first quarter. Evidently, the Rockets' offense and defense were just too much.
The second period was more of the same, with Houston doubling the Hornets' scoring output at one point. Fred VanVleet had his way with the home squad's perimeter defenders. Williams had no choice but to employ a drop coverage earlier in the game because their weak-side defense has been practically non-existent. Then, in the second quarter, Alperen Sengun got hot, finishing with 11 points to supplement VanVleet's 15. The pair nearly matched Charlotte's 31-point production.
On offense, the Hornets failed to be creative, relying too much on their outside shot. However, only Ball was able to sink a 3-pointer, going for 2-6 from beyond the arc to end up with 10 points. His teammates collectively missed 14 attempts from long distance.
With Brandon Miller still out with an injury and three of their starters (Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, and Josh Green) registering a combined 2-17 from the field so far, Ball should just look to score every possession after halftime. Sure, it could further increase his usage rate, which is already nearing a historic level. However, the Hornets' offense has been so barren that the 2022 All-Star taking matters into his own hands would be their best bet to make an epic comeback from a 62-31 deficit.