CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Miles Bridges knew something was off. Maybe his birthday senses were tingling.
But there was a point prior to the Charlotte Hornets’ matchup with New Orleans on Monday night that had Bridges slightly worried.
“I could tell in warm ups that we had low energy,” Bridges said. “So we’ve just got to come out like we have in these last few games. Come out ready to play because other teams, they are definitely going to take advantage of that. So we’ve got to definitely come out and treat every game like a playoff game.”
They’re lucky they awoke from their slumber before it was too late. Otherwise, they would’ve lamented squandering a shot at extending their slight cushion in the playoff standings.
But they finally got it going and held off New Orleans 106-103 behind some nifty play by LaMelo Ball and Mason Plumlee in the final minutes. The duo combined to post the Hornets’ final six points, the finale coming when Ball tossed in a floater with 8.9 seconds, shaking his head matter-of-factly as if to say, that’s it.
It certainly wasn’t the prettiest victory. Doesn’t matter, though. It still counts and that’s what is most significant at this point for the Hornets (37-35). They remain in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, sitting 1.5 games ahead of 10th-place Atlanta and six clear of 11th-place Washington with 10 games left.
“We found a way and good teams do that – they find a way,” coach James Borrego said. “And when you don’t have your best stuff, shots aren’t falling, whatever the case may be, you figure it out and stay the course. There is a resilient group out there and we found a way to win an NBA basketball game.
“I think closing out these games, we have been really good at closing out games recently.”
That’s fueled their season-best five-game winning streak and has them feeling good about themselves. They’ve turned it around following a stretch of 14 losses in 17 games and it’s happening at the appropriate time: right as the season is hitting its final stretch.
“Just to show the NBA that we’re here,” Bridges said. “We had a bad February. We were kind of dropping out of the playoff and play-in standings. So we just wanted to show the NBA that we’re here and we’re young, but we don’t care. We’re trying to make the playoffs. We’re a hungry team. So we just want to continue playing like this and keep putting the NBA on notice.”
Here are some takeaways from the Hornets’ third consecutive victory of their five-game homestand, which continues on Wednesday against New York:
I.T. is staying put
Isaiah Thomas isn’t going anywhere.
The Hornets are expected to sign Thomas for the rest of the season on Tuesday following the expiration of his second 10-day contract with Charlotte, a league source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Observer. He’s been great for the Hornets in his short time with the team and gave them a lift against the Pelicans, chipping in 15 points off the bench. He’s provided a veteran presence in the locker room and been key in helping Ball navigate the waters of his second season in the league.
“I.T., he’s been here for a long time,” Bridges said. “An All-Star, almost an MVP, been to the playoffs, done everything. So when he’s talking everybody listens, especially me, Melo.”
It’s an understatement to say the Hornets had serious issues on the glass against the Pelicans.
New Orleans racked up 15 offensive rebounds, directly leading to 23 second-chance points. The Pelicans corralled three offensive rebounds on one possession alone in the fourth quarter.
Keeping Jonas Valanciunas off the boards was a real problem. He racked up 18 rebounds to go with his 25 points and gave the Hornets fits inside. New Orleans scored more than half of its points in the paint, totaling 54.
“We know we’ve got to clean up the glass,” Mason Plumlee said. “When we go from just tracking to hitting bodies we are probably a better defensive rebounding team. And I don’t know if some of it comes from playing zone and switching. Sometimes you have guards boxing out bigs, but whatever it is we’ve got to clean it up.
“And then I think some of these wins, instead of it being four, five points it becomes, 10, 12, 15. And it’s so exciting because there’s obvious room for growth. And it’s always better to grow and learn while winning.”
Freebies for Plumlee
Plumlee has apparently found an answer to his free throw shooting woes.
Plumlee is continuing to utilize his newfound stroke at the free throw line, which he began against the Pelicans in their meeting in New Orleans on March 11. Plumlee is firing them off left-handed, something that was initially a necessity because he had two fingers taped up on his right hand. It’s had sporadic results, with him nailing five of his nine attempts. But it’s better than the 37.2 percent he’s been shooting.
Plumlee went 3 for 4 from the line against the Pelicans and nailed a pair in the third quarter that drew an ovation.
“It’s no secret – it’s not like I had anything to lose based on how I was shooting at the free throw line,” Plumlee said. “It just felt good. It didn’t feel like something that was uncomfortable. So after I saw the first couple go in, I stuck with it got some reps up and it’s a good ball so I’ll stick with it.”
Rough welcome back for Devonte’
New Orleans was among the few teams the Hornets hadn’t hosted yet, so that means their matchup with the Pelicans represented the first opportunity to welcome back one of their native sons.
Devonte’ Graham missed the front end of New Orleans’ back-to-back in Atlanta on Sunday, but he was out there against his former team, getting the starting nod at point guard. They played a tribute video for him during the first timeout in the first quarter, a lengthy montage of clips that highlighted his three seasons with the Hornets.
Drafted in the second round in 2019, Graham was a key component as a reserve and starter. The Raleigh, N.C. native had several friends and family members in the stands cheering him on in his only appearance of the season in Uptown. But it was a struggle for him. He scored two points on 1 of 8 shooting, misfiring on all five attempts beyond the arc.
