The Charlotte Hornets Are Oh So Close to Ending a Three-Year Drought

Can the Hornets find eight more wins on the schedule?

Mar 11, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) autographs shoes in the tunnel after the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

It's hard to believe that with just 14 games left in the regular season, the Charlotte Hornets are 34-34 and in a great position to make the Play-In Tournament.

What's even more remarkable than making the Play-In is having the possibility of finishing the season with a winning record despite starting the year 4-14 and being 11 games under .500 mark at the halfway point. This group is just eight wins away from clinching a winning season, ending a three-year drought, and it would be just the third time since 2010.

Are there eight wins still out there?

Feb 28, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) brings the ball up court against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Assuming they take care of business against the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, and Indiana Pacers, they'll be halfway there with ten other games on the table. Those other matchups come against the Heat, Magic, Knicks (2x), 76ers, Celtics (2x), Suns, Timberwolves, and Pistons. Ten of these final fourteen games are going to be played inside Spectrum Center, so not reaching 42 wins would be a pretty big disappointment, I would assume, for the front office and coaching staff.

You would think that having a home-heavy slate to round things out would be a good thing, but for the Hornets, that's not necessarily the case. They are just 14-17 at home this season, and following their loss to the Spurs on Saturday, head coach Charles Lee talked about those home woes and what needs to change to produce better results down the stretch.

“(Focus on) their habits. We’ve actually played pretty well on the road, and I think our record might say differently at home. Our fans are amazing, and I think that we will feed off of that, but we have to make sure that we bring a level of focus and readiness on this homestand because we play a lot of really good competition, and sometimes you can be too comfortable being home for that many days. The road, at times, makes you uncomfortable, makes you hungry, and we have to have that same hunger at home.”

The Hornets have been better of late in Uptown, winning seven of their last 11 inside the Hive, with three of those losses impacted by the ejection and/or suspensions of Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté.

Charlotte will begin its seven-game homestand Tuesday night against the Miami Heat.

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