The Charlotte Hornets are rolling, and they just notched their ninth straight win on Sunday with a 126-119 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
As has been the case in their searing turnaround, the Hornets used balanced scoring to overpower the Hawks, with Miles Bridges’ 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting leading the way. Five other Hornets finished in double figures, with Koné Knueppel firing 23 on six triples, LaMelo Ball adding 19 points and 9 assists, and Moussa Diabate putting up 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 31 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Zaccharie Risacher added 18 points and 3 blocks.
Historic Hornets
The Hornets aren’t just winners of nine consecutive games. They’re also 19-7 over their last 26 outings in a startling turnaround that has seen them go from 6-21 and in the Eastern Conference cellar to 25-28 and right inside Play-In territory. But Buzz City isn’t just winning—it’s winning big, recording the NBA’s top offensive rating over the past 16 games while posting a +11.1 NET rating with the league’s No. 1 offense and No. 3 defense.
That league-best offense is led by the dynamic trio of Ball, Brandon Miller, and Knueppel, who together are outscoring opponents by an impressive 11.5 points per 100 possessions in this dynamite run thus far. What’s more, the Hornets’ starting five of Ball, Miller, Knueppel, Bridges, and Diabate—Charlotte’s starters versus the Hawks on Sunday—have gone 15-1 this season and have looked like the best five-man lineup in the NBA.
Buzz City Is Buzzing
Even better, the Hornets are among the most fun teams to watch right now in all of basketball as they play a fast-paced, high-octane, and free-flowing style where everyone has the green light to either shoot or make a play. Defensively, the Hornets swarm every part of the court like busy bees, and this tenacious defence often generates transition opportunities that amplify the team’s athletic strength.
Of course, this hot streak could just be part of the usual ebbs and flows of a long NBA season. But it could also be a sign that Buzz City really is trending in the right direction with all the young pieces in the lineup.
The Hornets stake their nine-game winning run against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, with a chance to tie the franchise record for the longest winning streak ever.
