Hornets extend winning streak to seven with win over Pelicans

Lee blamed himself after the game, explaining that he was trying to keep the ball from going into the stands. "I took a play off," Lee told reporters. "And you're not supposed to take any plays off."

Everyone on the Hornets except Ball and Grant Williams appeared to take the first half off, allowing the Pelicans to shoot 50 percent while turning the ball over 10 times. The wounded Ball had 18 first-half points and Grant Williams scored 12. 11 of Ball's points came in the final three minutes of the half, after New Orleans had gone up by 22 points.

Charlotte Hornets' improved defense fueling win streak

The Hornets locked down the Pelicans in the second half to complete their comeback, holding them to a season-low 31 points after the break. It wasn't a fluke.

Since the beginning of 2026, Charlotte has the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA. That's a stark contrast to October-December, when they had the fifth-worst defensive rating. They've been helped by a dominating performance on the defensive glass, ranking second in defensive rebounds and giving up the second-fewest amount of second-chance points.

That's how Charlotte shut down New Orleans. Not only did they limit the Pelicans to 26.3 percent shooting after halftime, but they also allowed only a single offensive rebound. On a day where the Hornets' shooting was as cold as the weather outside — they shot 12-for-50 from three-point range — they dominated with their defense, especially with Ryan Kalkbrenner's three blocks in 18 minutes.

Now the Hornets have won seven straight to move 1.5 games out of the final play-in spot. They could rise further. The Hornets are in 11th place, but have the sixth-best point differential in the Eastern Conference.

The last time Charlotte won seven straight games, it went to the playoffs. This incarnation of the Hornets has never had a winning streak longer than this. It may be time for this young Hornets team to make history.