Charles Lee’s Charlotte Hornets nearly snapped a long losing skid to the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night, which would have moved them to 2-0 on the young season. Instead, they watched a double-digit lead slip away, falling by a 125-121 score.
For the second straight game to open the season, the Hornets shared the ball extremely well, notching over 30 assists. The ball doesn’t seem to stick with this group, and in reality, it shouldn’t with as many playmakers as they have. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Collin Sexton each had at least seven assists.
I know he was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, but he got bullied by Joel Embiid inside and wasn’t nearly as effective defensively as you would hope. It was his welcome to the NBA moment, and no, it’s not a complete crash of his stock. He’s going to have nights like this, but once he gets stronger and fills out his frame, those will become far and few between.
Charles Lee was none too pleased with a third quarter defense in the opener against Brooklyn, so you can only imagine how furious he had to be with what transpired on Saturday night in the fourth quarter when the Bugs allowed 39 points. More importantly, communication broke down way too often and it looked like the intensity level dropped off when they were up double digits with roughly five minutes to go.
Brandon Miller only played nine minutes before he left the game with a shoulder injury. There has been no update as of Sunday morning, but it’s never a good sight to see a key player leave the floor, especially given how Charlotte’s luck has been over the last handful of years in that regard. For now, Charlotte fans are holding their breath and hoping for the best.
The Hornets will look to move on from last night’s loss and get back in the win column tonight when they take on the Washington Wizards. Tip is set for 6 p.m. ET.
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