Three Takeaways from the Hornets Loss on Sunday Night to the Phoenix Suns

The Hornets fell back to under .500 with the loss.

Mar 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles against Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

After a six-game winning streak, the Charlotte Hornets fell to the Miami Heat on Friday night. Though it was a disappointing result, Head Coach Charles Lee said that the team was in high spirits in the locker room after the game ended.

They were back in action on Sunday night, taking on the Phoenix Suns in Arizona. The Suns were coming in winners of three of their last four; however, would be missing Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Mark Williams.

The Hornets, on the other hand, were fully healthy outside of an injury to Tidjane Salaun.

The Hornets were looking to get back to the ninth seed, but Sunday night was not the night for it. The Hornets fell to the Suns, dropping their second in a row and falling back under .500.

Brandon Miller needs to shoot more

Brandon Miller has shot the ball just 11.7 times per game across his last three games, both down from his numbers over his first 44 games. The Hornets' offense is elevated with his scoring, and it dips without him taking the shots.

In turn, Miles Bridges ends up taking more shots, which, at the moment, is not what the Hornets want. He shot 1-6 from three and 6-15 from the field overall, while being a -8 in the loss.

The Three Ball

The Hornets three ball was not falling on Sunday night, with the team shooting 15-45 from deep. Charlotte has led the NBA in three-point percentage since the start of the new year, and they were likely due for a cold stretch after an excellent few games during their win streak.

For a team that is so reliant on the three-pointer, the Hornets losing it tonight was arguably the worst thing that could have happened to them.

It just was not the Hornets night

The Hornets did not get a standout performance from any of their players tonight, with their leading scorer (LaMelo Ball) putting up 22 points on 9-19 from the field. Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller combined for just 26 points on 8/23, shooting 4/15 from three.

A 12-2 run by Phoenix in the fourth quarter essentially put the game to bed, despite the Hornets trying to get back into the ballgame. Phoenix's Rasheer Fleming, who was a Hornets draft-day target, recorded a season high 16 points, shooting 6/8 from the field and 4/6 from deep.

In short, it was not the Hornets night on Sunday.