Hornets Lose Battle of Bottom-Feeders

Charlotte played the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, the worst team in the NBA, and lost 113-106. Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 23 points, and Nick Richards added 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Hornets were playing for the first time since trading Terry Rozier to Miami for Kyle Lowry and a draft pick. Rozier had led the team in points and assists. “We stopped moving the ball in the fourth quarter,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said after his team scored 14 points in the final period. “We had done a good job with ball movement in the first three quarters, and that’s what we have to do to win. We play pick-and-roll and move the ball.”

LaMelo Ball, playing his sixth game after an ankle injury, scored 17 points on 6-for-21 shooting and 1-for-8 from long range. Ball has had a poor field goal percentage throughout his career. However, he was shooting a career-best 44.4% from the floor entering this game. That isn’t a great mark, but teams are keying on him as the Hornets are severely short-handed. P.J. Washington’s buzzer-beating 3-point gave the Hornets a 92-89 lead at the end of the third quarter. But, the Hornets missed their first four shots of the fourth quarter, allowing the Pistons to build a five-point lead.

Rockets Lose at Home

Facing off against a 12-win Blazers team, the Rockets faltered down the stretch, losing 137-131 at home, in overtime. Alperun Sengun had 30 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, and Jalen Green scored 29. Sengun recorded his 17th double-double of the season, scoring 30 or more in five of those.

FredVanVleet added 18 points with seven assists and six rebounds for the Rockets after missing a game with lower back tightness. He played 46 minutes in the game, so the back issue is gone. “This was a game we should have won tonight,” Green told Associated Press reporters after the game. “But things happen, and we’ve got to bounce back.”

Jabari Smith Jr. sat out for a second straight game for Houston with a sprained left ankle. Smith was able to play in their last game before the loss against Portland, so he should be back soon. Cam Whitmore started in his place when Smith was out and should play a large role in this game if he remains sidelined. Jeff Green should also take on some extra minutes since Jae’Sean Tate is also out. They have lost two in a row, falling three games below the .500 mark.