All Hornets

Hornets blow double-digit halftime lead in Detroit, dropping ninth straight game

The Charlotte Hornets fall to 7-26 on the season.
Schuyler Callihan|
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

Another game, another loss is in the books for the Charlotte Hornets. Friday night, the Bugs fell to the Detroit Pistons, 98-94, dropping their record to 7-26 on the season.

Best of the night: Mark Williams

Every time the Hornets and Pistons link up, everyone's eyes will be on the matchup underneath between Mark Williams and Jalen Duren, assuming Williams is healthy. The Hornets drafted Duren but traded him to Detroit on draft night, opening the door for Williams to be their center of the future. This was a pretty even bout, but Williams did a lot to help keep the Hornets in the game. He finished the night with 18 points and nine boards.

Worst of the night: Blowing the halftime lead

Seeing a double-digit halftime lead erased in the NBA isn't all that rare, but for a team like the Hornets, they have to keep their foot on the pedal for 48 minutes. They scored a grand total of 39 points in the second half and only 12 in the fourth quarter. That's one point per minute, folks. That's not going to cut it. This team's confidence is completely dashed, and you can see it on their face as the Pistons made their run.

Stat of the night: Free throw mishaps

Charlotte doesn't get to the line nearly enough on a nightly basis, but last night, they did. The Hornets attempted 30 free throws but only converted 19 of them. As poor as this team is shooting the three-ball, they need to cash in at the charity stripe. Leaving that many points on the table cost them the game.

Highlight of the night:

Next up

Things don't get any easier for the reeling Hornets as they'll take on the best team in the association, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Sunday at 6 p.m. EST.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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