Hornets
Charlotte shuffled its rotation on Thursday, bringing LaMelo Ball off the bench for the first time since his rookie campaign. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the guard topped 30 points for only the third time this season, giving the club a much-needed spark.
Two nights later, the Hornets delivered one of the biggest wins in league history, overpowering the Jazz by 55 points. Dunc’d On Daily Duncs noted that just three teams have ever won by that margin in a year in which they finished with fewer than 36 victories.
Despite being on pace for fewer than 30 wins, Charlotte’s current minus-0.6 point differential is better than that of the 24-14 Lakers, according to ESPN.
Nets
The momentum Brooklyn built in December has evaporated. Since Dec. 29, the Nets have dropped seven of eight contests and have slipped from December’s No. 1 defense to 26th in January, allowing 118.8 points per 100 possessions.
With the trade deadline approaching, league talk surrounding Michael Porter Jr. is expected to heat up. One positive amid the slide is rookie Egor Demin, who is shooting 53 percent from beyond the arc this month on more than six attempts a night.
Pelicans
New Orleans snapped its second nine-game losing streak of the season on Friday, defeating Washington, which was without recently acquired Trae Young. Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson each surpassed 30 points, while rookie Derik Queen posted a triple-double against his hometown club.
The Pelicans followed with a tighter loss in Orlando, yet the overall outlook remains grim. At the season’s midpoint they sit last in the standings with nine victories and have faced only one opponent outside the play-in picture since Christmas.
Source: Hoops Wire
