Hornets Blanked by Warriors, Extends Losing Streak to Four Games
The Charlotte Hornets fell to the Golden State Warriors, 128-92 on Tuesday night. KJ Simpson led the Hornets with 14 points and six rebounds. Charlotte played without leading scorer LaMelo Ball, as the team ruled him out since he is resting his right ankle. This is the Hornets’ fourth straight loss on their six-game road trip.
Charlotte struggled with turnovers throughout the game and could not take advantage of the small ball lineup of the Warriors. Mark Williams strived to be a monster in the paint; however, the big man at times rushed his shots and battled with double-teams the whole night. He finished with 12 points on 50 percent shooting. Miles Bridges finished with nine points and shot 18 percent from the field. The former Michigan State Spartan had one of his worst shooting performances of the season.
The Warriors have hit their stride since acquiring Jimmy Butler III from the Miami Heat. Golden State is 6-1 since acquiring the six-time NBA All-Star and can rely on his presence to take some pressure off of Stephen Curry. The Warriors led by as many as 38 points and extended their winning streak to four games. They scored most of their points in the paint tonight while shooting 37 percent from three. A stark contrast for a team known for shooting the ball at an exceptional level. Curry, who is nearing 4,000 made three-pointers in his career, had 15 points and six assists.
The Hornets started off their road trip with a victory, but now they have lost all momentum since. Charlotte suffered losses of 53 and 42 points to Portland and Sacramento and for a team that is trying to find their confidence, it sure seems that this team has lost it. They have one more game at Dallas to round out this trip before heading home to kick off a four-game homestand on March 1st. The team sits at 14-43 and the playoffs seem definitely unlikely this season. So, with two months left in the regular season, the team will look for any opportunity to build momentum heading into next year.
