All-star break can't cool off scorching hot Hornets
By Ben Handler
If there was any concern about the long layoff slowing down the Hornets’ momentum, Thursday night’s win over the Jazz should dispel that notion. Charlotte took their show on the road and pulled out a 115-107 victory in one of the hardest places to play in the NBA.
Prior to this current run, the Hornets’ longest winning streak of the season was two games, which they did once, in November. But that feels like a distant memory and a different team.
This version of the Hornets is absolutely rolling, as they’ve doubled that streak, having won four games in a row. The team is undefeated with Grant Williams, Tre Mann, Seth Curry, Vasilije Micic, and Davis Bertans inserted into the mix.
This four-game winning streak accounts for more than a quarter of the Hornets' wins for the entire 2023-24 season. And this one may have been the most impressive of the bunch, as they did it on the road, only their sixth road victory of the season.
Notably, the Hornets did it with defense yet again, holding another opponent under 110 points, which they’ve done in all four games of the winning streak. They entered the fourth quarter trailing by five but held Utah to just 17 points in the quarter as they pulled away down the stretch.
The new faces continue to look good, as Williams had 24 points and hit 6 threes off the bench while anchoring the defense. Tre Mann got another start and chipped in 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Micic, Curry, and Bertans all contributed as well.
Miles Bridges kept up his torrid recent play, putting up 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists while hitting 4/6 threes. He has been playing the best basketball of his career and it doesn’t look like the break has slowed him down.
The Hornets won’t have much time to bask in their glow and rest on their laurels. They’ll be back in action Friday night as they put their winning streak on the line against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. This will be the toughest challenge yet as the Warriors have been playing very well lately and are motivated to bolster their position in the West standings with the playoffs fast approaching.