Hornets Erase 22-Point Deficit Against Pelicans, Win Seventh Straight

LaMelo Ball was a +24 in the win.

Feb 2, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee reacts to a foul call during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets held an early first quarter lead during Monday afternoon's matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans, before star LaMelo Ball and Head Coach Charles Lee bumped heads, which resulted in Ball going to the locker room.

From there, the Pelicans 19-6 run to take a seven point lead headed into the second quarter. After that, they went on a 22-7 run, and were able to push their lead up to 22.

While Ball returned, he was the only player with a positive plus-minus for the Hornets in the first half. Brandon Miller, who shortly after tip-off was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, had 4 first half points on 2-12 from the field and 0/8 from three. Kon Knueppel had 9 points on 2/7 from the field.

The second half was a complete 180 from the first half.

The Hornets outscored the Pelicans 29-18 in the third quarter behind 8 points from Brandon Miller, bringing the lead down to three headed into halftime. The Hornets continued on into the fourth quarter, beating the Pelicans 18-5 during the beginning of the fourth quarter.

After looking like they would lose their first game since January 21, they flipped the script in the second half to win seven straight, the first time they have done so in an entire decade.

LaMelo Ball was a +24 in the game, leading the team in plus-minus. The Hornets had three players with a double-digit plus minus despite the fact that they trailed for the majority of the game, and ended up taking down the Pelicans 102-95.

Grant Williams

Monday afternoon was Grant's first game since returning from an injury that kept him out since November 2024. He recorded his first double-digit game, scoring 16 points, 9 rebounds, going 5/7 from the field and 2/4 from three.

Grant has shot just 30.4% from the field and 23.5% from three since returning from injury. The former Volunteer has yet to hit the shooting numbers he had a year ago, but Monday was a step in the right direction for him.

- MORE STORIES FROM CHARLOTTE HORNETS ON SI -

Charlotte Hornets Shouldn't Trade for Anthony Davis for One Big Reason

Score Predictions for Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Collin Sexton Had His Deion Sanders Moment as the Hornets Grab the NBA’s Attention

Charlotte Hornets Trade Deadline Mailbag Part One: Collin Sexton's future, Bench Upgrades, and more