A six-game losing streak has dropped the Charlotte Hornets to the .500 mark. They’ll try to rise above it once again when they visit Detroit on Friday.
Charlotte has stalled offensively during the slide, averaging 99 points per game. In their last game, the Hornets lost to Chicago 121-109 on Wednesday to wrap up a winless four-game homestand.
“There’s some sort of extreme drought at some level,” coach James Borrego said. “It feels like there’s a three- or four-minute span where we just lose our way a little bit offensively, whether that’s turnovers, missing good shots. Those spells, we just have to eliminate as we move forward. Obviously, making shots makes up for those dry spells. We have to have big nights to make up for those dry spells.”
Point guard LaMelo Ball delivered a 33-point outing against the Bulls, but he also had nearly as many turnovers (four) as assists (five). The three reserves that Borrego called upon contributed just 16 points.
“No one wants to lose six games in a row, but we understand it’s a learning experience for us,” forward Kelly Oubre Jr. said. “We have to refocus and reenergize.”
The Pistons seem to bring out the best in Charlotte. The Hornets have won the last 14 meetings, with the most recent loss coming on Oct. 18, 2017.
Charlotte is operating without one of its top offensive threats. Gordon Hayward is sidelined indefinitely with sprained ligaments in his left ankle.
The Hornets are shooting 36 percent on 3-point attempts during the season, but they’ve made just 29 percent during the losing streak.
They had no trouble knocking down shots when they hosted Detroit on Jan. 5. They shot 59.3 percent — 57.1 percent from deep — in a 140-111 rout. Charlotte set a franchise record with 24 3-pointers.
“We’ll be all right,” Borrego said. “We just have to stay with it and keep plugging away.”
Detroit, which will be playing the second game of a back-to-back, has lost six straight and 10 of its last 11 outings. The Pistons were blown out at home by Memphis 132-107 on Thursday, in a game they never led. The Pistons were down 41-19 after the first quarter and trailed by double digits the rest of the way.
“With a rebuild, we’re going to probably have more nights like this than anything else,” coach Dwane Casey said. “My thing is our compete level defensively and making sure we execute. I don’t care if we miss 50 million shots; we’ve got to make sure we execute and play with the right spirit.”
Detroit rookie guard Cade Cunningham, the top pick in last year’s draft, missed his fifth straight game due to a right hip pointer.
Jerami Grant, the subject of many rumors, led the Pistons with 20 points as the trade deadline passed without a deal.
The Pistons did get involved in a four-team swap in which they landed forward Marvin Bagley III from Sacramento. The Hornets were also active, acquiring forward Montrezl Harrell from Washington to fortify their frontcourt. It’s uncertain whether either will debut with his new team on Friday.
