Shortly after the LaMelo Ball rumor surfaced, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Charlotte Hornets may not be too keen on trading the star until they get a long look at the core pieces together. Their win over the Toronto Raptors, given the circumstances, is proof that the front office is onto something.
It wasn't just a textbook victory for the Hornets, as it came against the hottest Eastern Conference team. The Raptors are No. 2 in the East in the standings (14-6) and in point differential (+6.0). They also entered the Saturday tiff hoping to extend their win streak to 10.
Hornets weren't supposed to win
However, Charlotte had other ideas. Despite being a day removed from notching its first clutch win of the season and the odds being stacked against it, it put up an impressive fight at home.
Another interesting thing of note is that Toronto actually had a higher win probability in ESPN's projection during the entire regulation. The odds only started to favor the Hornets at the 3:50 mark of overtime, with the score tied at 106-106.
The live projection had proven somewhat accurate, though, as the Raptors looked on the way to an easy win after a 34-21 first quarter. But Charlotte slowly clawed back into the contest and unleashed a defensive clinic in the fourth period, holding the opponent to 17 points, to force the extra period. It then outscored Toronto 14-7 in overtime to complete the comeback victory, 118-111.
Hornets' core has shown promise
What also made the Hornets' win remarkable was that they managed to overcome bad nights from Ball and Brandon Miller.
The star point guard's slump continued. He shot just 6-16 to finish with 14 points. Interestingly, he played just 22 minutes. Possibly partly behind the limited playing time was the minutes restriction he is still under. However, the fact that Charlotte went on a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter with Ball on the bench also made the decision easier.
Miller was much worse than Melo, going 1-13 from the field and missing all six of his 3-point attempts. The only reason he still put up seven points was that he made five trips to the free-throw line and sank all of them.
The duo's ugly performances were understandable, considering that it was the second leg of a back-to-back and that they are still trying to return to form following their respective battles with injuries. Fortunately, their fellow starters, specifically Miles Bridges and Kon Knueppel, stepped up.
Bridges recorded a season-high 35 points, 10 of which came in the extra period, and shot above 50 percent for only the fourth time in the 2025-26 campaign. Meanwhile, Knueppel scored 20 and hit a game-tying corner 3-pointer that sent the match to overtime.
Other players also delivered, including Collin Sexton, who contributed 18 points, five assists, and three steals, Sion James, whose defensive prowess overshadowed his relative lack of production on the box score, and Moussa Diabate, who made his mark in the rebounding department against the Raptors' intimidating frontcourt.
Charlotte's Saturday win shows that the squad has a potent core and promising depth. So, it makes sense for the organization to try to see where Ball can lead it when all the pieces are healthy and clicking before pushing through with radical roster moves.