Charlotte Hornets' January Hot Streak Equals 2 Former NBA Champion Teams

The Charlotte Hornets have been pretty solid in the month of January. They're 9-6 with two games left in the month, so they will finish with a record above .500 this month regardless of what happens against the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.

But thus far, they're actually having one of the best months in the history of the NBA. This was supposed to be a pretty demanding month in terms of the schedule, but the Hornets have waltzed right through it.

They went on the road and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder by 27, making some NBA history in the process. They won in Utah by 55. They beat the Lakers in LA by 18, the Nuggets in Denver by 23, the Magic in Orlando by 27, and last night, the Grizzlies in Memphis by 15.

In January, the @hornets have won:

by 27 at OKC
by 55 at Uta
by 18 at LAL
by 23 at Den
by 27 at Orl
by 15 at Mem

The 6 road wins by 15+ points ties the 2001-02 Lakers (Jan) and the 2011-12 Heat (Feb) for the most in a month in NBA history.

Both of those teams won the title. pic.twitter.com/MDxBq4VzbB
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) January 29, 2026

According to Opta Stats, they now have six road wins by 15 or more points in a single month. The only two teams to do that in NBA history are the 2011-2012 Miami Heat, or the Heatles with LeBron James, Chris Bosch, and Dwyane Wade, and the 2001-2002 Los Angeles Lakers, with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Those two teams, of course, won the NBA Finals. Are the Hornets going to do that as well? It is highly improbable. They're still eight games under .500 and on the outside of the East's Play-In Tournament as of now.

Jan 28, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Liam McNeeley (33) backs into defender Memphis Grizzlies forward Jalen Wells (0) in the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images | Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

They got off to a bit of a slow start thanks to injuries. Brandon Miller missed 17 games. LaMelo Ball missed 10 games. Without Ball, the Hornets went 3-7. Without Miller, the Hornets went 3-14. It's hard to overcome that sort of start, but the Hornets have done well to move past it.

They're in 11th place, and with the Milwaukee Bucks about to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, they're the only team in that region that can threaten the Play-In teams as of now, and the Hornets actually have the fifth-best point differential in the East.

All of that is to say that they're on fire right now, but they still face an uphill battle. Things are good right now, but don't expect a deep playoff run like those Lakers or Heat.

- MORE STORIES FROM CHARLOTTE HORNETS ON SI -

Hornets Look to Extend Winning Streak Against Mavericks with Flagg’s Status Unclear

Do the Hornets Value Moussa Diabate More Than Brandon Miller?

Hornets Win Four Straight Games for the First Time Since February 2022

How the Charlotte Hornets are Perfectly Positioned to Play Facilitator at the NBA Trade Deadline