Hornets extend win streak to 6 games, hold off Spurs 111-106
CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets are officially the hottest team in the NBA, a reality that hasn't existed in the Queen City in nearly ten years. Despite a winter storm that forced an earlier tip-off at the Spectrum Center, the Hornets brought their own heat, holding off the San Antonio Spurs 111-106 to extend their winning streak to six games. This marks the franchise's longest run of unbeaten basketball since March 2016, signaling a potential turning point for the young core.
While the final score suggests a competitive affair, the Hornets controlled the tempo for the majority of the contest, building a commanding 17-point lead in the third quarter. Brandon Miller continued his ascent to stardom, dropping a team-high 26 points, including an explosive 16-point outburst in the second quarter. However, the true X-factor was Collin Sexton, who provided instant offense off the bench. Sexton finished with 21 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc to keep the Spurs at bay. LaMelo Ball orchestrated the attack with a mature floor game, tallying 16 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
San Antonio refused to go quietly, mounting a furious fourth-quarter comeback behind rookie Dylan Harper (20 points) and veteran Harrison Barnes, whose back-to-back threes cut the deficit to two. The Spurs' backcourt of Harper and De'Aaron Fox applied immense pressure, but Charlotte's defense held firm against the ultimate weapon: Victor Wembanyama. The Hornets limited the French phenom to 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, denying him easy access to the paint.
The game’s chaotic climax featured a controversial overturned foul call on Fox that resulted in a jump ball won by Wembanyama. Yet, the Spurs crumbled in the closing seconds, launching a hurried miss and inexplicably allowing 15 seconds to tick off the clock before fouling Miller to seal the result. Now firmly in the Eastern Conference play-in conversation, the Hornets have transformed from a lottery fixture to a legitimate postseason threat.
While the final score suggests a competitive affair, the Hornets controlled the tempo for the majority of the contest, building a commanding 17-point lead in the third quarter. Brandon Miller continued his ascent to stardom, dropping a team-high 26 points, including an explosive 16-point outburst in the second quarter. However, the true X-factor was Collin Sexton, who provided instant offense off the bench. Sexton finished with 21 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc to keep the Spurs at bay. LaMelo Ball orchestrated the attack with a mature floor game, tallying 16 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
San Antonio refused to go quietly, mounting a furious fourth-quarter comeback behind rookie Dylan Harper (20 points) and veteran Harrison Barnes, whose back-to-back threes cut the deficit to two. The Spurs' backcourt of Harper and De'Aaron Fox applied immense pressure, but Charlotte's defense held firm against the ultimate weapon: Victor Wembanyama. The Hornets limited the French phenom to 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, denying him easy access to the paint.
The game’s chaotic climax featured a controversial overturned foul call on Fox that resulted in a jump ball won by Wembanyama. Yet, the Spurs crumbled in the closing seconds, launching a hurried miss and inexplicably allowing 15 seconds to tick off the clock before fouling Miller to seal the result. Now firmly in the Eastern Conference play-in conversation, the Hornets have transformed from a lottery fixture to a legitimate postseason threat.
