NBA: Hornets rally past Pelicans for 7th straight win

LaMelo Ball scored 24 points as the Charlotte Hornets extended their winning streak to seven games, rallying from a 22-point deficit to defeat the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 102–95 on Monday afternoon.

Kon Knueppel delivered 17 points and nine rebounds, while Brandon Miller finished with 16 points and eight boards. Grant Williams provided a strong boost off the bench with 16 points and nine rebounds, and fellow reserve Ryan Kalkbrenner added 10 points for Charlotte, which is enjoying its longest winning streak in nearly a decade.

Ball struggled from long range, going just 3-for-14 from beyond the arc, but he was efficient inside, shooting 5-for-6 on two-point attempts. He also grabbed eight rebounds and led the team with five assists.

The Pelicans struggled offensively in the second half, scoring only 31 points after halftime, including just 13 in the fourth quarter. They dropped their third game in the last four despite a game-high 27 points from Trey Murphy III. Derik Queen posted 16 points and eight rebounds, while Zion Williamson recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Charlotte overcame 16 turnovers and limited ball movement — finishing with just 16 assists — by dominating the glass, outrebounding New Orleans 59–34. Six Hornets collected at least seven rebounds.

Murphy snapped out of a recent shooting slump, hitting 3-of-8 from 3-point range after making only seven total 3-pointers over his previous four games. He shot 10-for-20 overall.

New Orleans carried a 64–49 lead into halftime, but Charlotte surged early in the fourth quarter, opening the period with a 9–0 run to take an 87–82 lead. The Pelicans went cold, managing just seven points in the first nine minutes of the final period, with Williamson accounting for the team’s only two field goals.

Charlotte later stretched its lead to 98–89 and held on for the win.

The Hornets shot just 12-for-50 from 3-point range, with more than half of their 85 total field-goal attempts coming from long distance.

The game was part of a recent stretch of Hornets home contests with adjusted schedules, as tip-off was moved up four hours due to weather concerns.

—Field Level Media/Reuters