The pattern continues.
During the first full week of their 2025-26 season, the Charlotte Hornets have alternated between victories and defeats, following the former with the latter.
Tuesday night was the latest example.
Done in by a pair of backbreaking runs in each half, the Hornets couldn’t hang with the Miami Heat in a 144-117 loss at Kaseya Center, concluding a three-game road trip that could have easily finished above .500.
Instead, the Hornets can only lament their defensive effort in a game in which LaMelo Ball nearly recorded his second triple-double in as many outings, tossing in 20 points to go with nine assists and eight rebounds. The star guard registered 15 points in the first quarter, but never got into the same rhythm for the second half.
LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets reacts during the second quarter of the game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on Oct. 28, 2025, in Miami, Florida. Megan Briggs Getty Images
“I felt like it was one of those games where it was a ton about transition,” coach Charles Lee said. “They played with good pace, their kick-aheads bothered us even after makes. I think they were able to get out and create some advantages early on in the clock.
“…Credit to them. A couple of guys hit some shots that maybe don’t shoot it as well as they did today, but they had it firing on all cylinders. And then when we get to that point, when we get close we’ve got to buckle down. One forty-four isn’t going to cut it on a nightly basis.”
Lee seemed most discouraged by the Hornets’ lack of execution with many of their principles.
“The rest of the game plan, it’s stuff that we work on at the beginning of training camp,” Lee said. “It’s transition defense, it’s guarding the ball, it’s great shift activity and then finishing possessions. And they did a lot of those things better than us tonight.”
Other leading scorers for Charlotte were Collin Sexton with 18 points and Kon Knueppel with 19.
Bam Adebayo scored 26 points to lead Miami (3-1).
Here’s what else Lee said about where the Hornets (2-2) are at following their road trip:
On number of assists this season and it being a point of emphasis
“I would say ball movement has been a big theme of our offseason, in preseason, in training camp and our first few games,” Lee said, “and I want to see it sustained. We’ve done it so far through (the first) three games and I think it’s helping us. I think it’s creating better shots, it’s also leading more of our players and everyone is more of a threat.
“It’s been great to see and I think it starts with our three kind of big dogs in Melo, Miles (Bridges) and Brandon (Miller) and their willingness to do it becomes contagious with the rest of the group. I’ve loved where we are at and I want to see us be able to sustain it.”
Collin Sexton of the Charlotte Hornets reacts during the third quarter of the game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on Oct. 28, 2025, in Miami, Florida. Megan Briggs Getty Images
On Collin Sexton’s impact
“Collin has definitely been great,” Lee said. “He’s elevated the intensity level in our environment, in our culture and in the games since Day One. He’s kind of come in with just an all-business, obsessed with daily improvement. When he comes in to work out, he brings it and I love his approach, I love how he interacts with his teammates. He is so bought into everything that we are doing., but he’s pushing all of his teammates to be great as well, which is also an exciting thing.
“And when game time shows up he’s the same person. The consistency of passion and competitiveness and togetherness, it’s seen and it’s evident.“
On more than five players averaging at least four rebounds
“It’s been good to see,” Lee said. “Again, I want to see those efforts sustained. Moussa (Dibateis) the driver of our offensive rebounding, and as he goes, I think the rest of the group sees it and feels it, and it’s something that we are pretty passionate about. I think it kind of breaks the spirit of other teams, but I also think it helps you win that shot margin, gives you another opportunity, (helps with) valuing every possession.
“So, there’s a ton that goes into it. But I’ve been really happy with our guys committing to it this year, hitting the glass. And on top of hitting the glass sharing the ball I think we’ve gotten a lot of really good kick out threes or other plays have happened because of that.”
Nikola Jovic of the Miami Heat handles the ball against Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets during the second quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on Oct. 28, 2025, in Miami, Florida. Megan Briggs Getty Images
On having rookies Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner in the starting lineup
“Our rookies, they came in, they hit the ground running from Day One,“ Lee said, “contributing to the summer league championship. But the habits that they bring, the basketball IQ, the competitiveness, I can kind of go on and on and on. But they’ve definitely earned the opportunity to be out there in the starting lineup. And I think that everyone gets to see why. It’s no surprise. They’ve been playing this way since Day One, and it’s been great to see.
“Now, I think that if we can continue down that road, it just helps our depth. They are going to have their ups, which is what they are in right now. But when you are a young player in this league, you are going to have a down at some point, too, But I believe in the character of these people, how they work, how they push each other to be really good, they are part of the evolution of our culture and our environment.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 11:20 PM.
Roderick Boone
The Charlotte Observer
Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly.
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