February 22, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) loses control of the basketball in the first half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Image The Charlotte Hornets extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 10 games on Sunday in Phoenix.
Now they are about to start a new job in a place that has traditionally struggled.
The up-and-coming Hornets will look for their second win in their last 18 visits to Portland when they face the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
Charlotte’s misfortunes in Portland include a 15-game slide since a March 2008 win when the franchise was known as the Bobcats. Charlotte wouldn’t win the Pacific Northwest again until February 2024, when the Hornets won 93-80.
The Hornets lost their next game in Portland after back-to-back wins, losing 141-88 on February 22, 2025.
Second-year Charlotte coach Charles Lee is mainly concerned about the Hornets continuing their two-game losing streak. The Hornets lost 128-120 against the visiting Miami Heat on Friday and lost 111-99 to the Suns on Sunday.
“We have to continue to stay together and focus on the right things,” Lee said. “Focus on all the good habits we’ve built and just let it go a little bit (Sunday) in more adverse conditions. Our group always responds, so I’m looking forward to following that in the next game.”
The Hornets haven’t lost their way since losing 136-116 to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 17. During its 10-game winning streak, Charlotte has won by 20 points or more on five occasions.
But against the Suns, the Hornets held on to 41 points in the second half as the streak evaporated.
“(The Suns) stepped up their stamina all night,” Lee said. “We had a good rhythm at the beginning of the game and then suddenly they started to get a little more lively when they went down. Their overall defensive activity was what bothered us the most.”
LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 22 points and six assists. He has four treys and has made 17 in four games this month.
The Trail Blazers earned a convincing 131-111 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
Scoot Henderson scored a season-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, had six assists and did not commit any turnovers in 26 minutes.
“That was the game plan,” Henderson said. “Don’t turn the ball over…just try to take better care of the ball.”
The third-year point guard missed the first 51 games and did not make his season debut until Feb. 6 due to a left hamstring injury.
Henderson is averaging 12.9 points and 4.5 assists in 13 games (3 starts), but is shooting only 39.3% from the field and 25.4% from 3-point range.
In fact, in the four games before his breakthrough, Henderson shot just 10-for-41 (24.4%) from the field and 3-for-21 (14.3%) from 3-point range.
“His aggressive actions were a great bounce back,” Trail Blazers interim coach Thiago Splitter said. “He’s helped us pick up the pace, he’s been hitting shots and driving hard to the goal, so he’s confident.”
Henderson’s belief in himself was unwavering.
“I never once doubted myself,” Henderson said. “It’s the next play mentality that determines whether it’s a good game or a bad game.”
Henderson didn’t perform well during Portland’s 109-93 loss in Charlotte on Feb. 28. He scored 8-of-12 3-pointers and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts.
Jrue Holiday had 25 points for the Trail Blazers. Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 26 points.
Portland All-Star Deni Avdija (back) returned from a six-game absence against Indiana and scored 18 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in 25 minutes.
–Field level media
