CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In examining the Charlotte Hornets’ most recent stretch filled with a string of victories, James Borrego chalked up their current state to good old-fashioned improvement. “I think we’ve gotten better the last 10 games,” the coach said.
“I think our defense has turned. We’ve shown what we are a capable defensive team, and I think in the last 10 games we’ve been a top-10 defense and that’s the goal, is to maintain that. Every night, when we are the aggressive team and we are defending, we are capable of winning every single night.”
Count Friday as the latest example.
Pairing their highest output of the season with another solid defensive effort, the Hornets kept their success going with a 133-115 win in front of a sellout crowd at Spectrum Center.
Here are three things we learned in the Hornets’ eighth win in their past nine games and fifth consecutive win at home:
Where would they be without Oubre?
That Kelly Oubre free-agent signing keeps looking better by the game.
Oubre’s production has been probably beyond what the Hornets could have hoped for following his struggles shooting with Golden State last season. Whether it was his starting stints at shooting guard when Terry Rozier’s sprained ankle kept him out or his offensive fireworks off the bench in more of a sixth-man role, Oubre’s value can’t be understated.
He was blowing kisses at the massive home crowd again, all courtesy of a career-high-tying seven made 3-pointers off the bench. He canned 10 of 17 attempts overall, making just over half of the 13 shots he hoisted beyond the arc en route to a game-high 27 points.
Unselfishness leads to record night
The tone was set by LaMelo Ball extremely early.
Ball engineered the offense with effective movement, often finding teammates for relatively easy baskets. He had six of his 13 assists in the first quarter alone and his passing was infectious. The Hornets totaled 32 assists on their 49 field goals, many setting up 3-pointers. They sank a season-best 23 shots from 3-point range, matching their regulation record of 23 set on Oct. 23, 2019, against Chicago.
Not yet, Nick
With a right calf strain sidelining Mason Plumlee, leaving him on the bench in street clothes, someone had to slide into his place. Since PJ Washington logged just six minutes two nights earlier in his first game back after missing the previous 10 thanks to a hyperextended left elbow, one might have assumed the starting nod would go to Nick Richards.
Not so.
Instead, Borrego went with Washington at the outset instead of the second-year big man. He played Washington in bursts, tossing him on the floor for 13 minutes in the first half and 24 minutes overall. Washington did knock down one straightaway 3-pointer — which has become a staple on his offensive arsenal — and a two-handed hammer dunk. But he also fired off two air=balls, indicating his legs aren’t there conditioning-wise, which should be somewhat expected.
Still, even as he plays himself back into shape, the Hornets prefer to insert him at center rather than power forward because It allows them to create more mismatches.
“He should like it because the floor is open with shooting,” Borrego said. “He’s done a very nice job defensively, offensively, you look at the offensive rating of that group, it’s really high. And they are defending at a high level, and I think Miles (Bridges) gets a kick out of it. He’s triggering a lot of the offense in that stretch. It’s his world to play with a bunch of shooters around him, roll to the basket, diving to the rim, making plays. So he should like it.”
