What Charles Lee Had to Say Following the Hornets Second Straight Loss

Charlotte head coach Charles Lee explains what went wrong vs. Phoenix.

Mar 4, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee reacts during the first half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets (32-33) dropped the first game of their four-game road swing on Sunday night, falling to the Phoenix Suns, 111-99. The loss also marks just the third time since the start of 2026 that the team has lost back-to-back games.

After the game, Hornets head coach Charles Lee briefly spoke about the game with reporters. Here is everything he had to say.

What the Suns did to pull away in the second half

“I actually thought the whole night, they really amped up their physicality. I thought early in the game we had a nice rhythm going, and then all of a sudden, as they got down, they started being a little bit more active. They got their hands on a lot of our passes as we’re driving — some deflections, some steals. In the third quarter, I think we had seven turnovers, and they made us pay for it. I think their overall defensive activity was the thing that bothered us the most tonight.”

How Ryan Kalkbrenner and Grant Williams played

“At first, I thought Ryan did a good job of bringing the physicality. I thought he actually responded well, and our group responded decently well. We had some periods where we couldn’t sustain it, I think. I thought Ryan was a force defensively, trying to come over and block some shots, offensive rebound, his screening, his seam reads when he caught it in the seam — he gave us a good threat in the paint. And then Grant, I think he just continues to give us a good impact off the bench with his leadership, bringing that level of physicality, and bringing that basketball IQ on the floor on both ends.”

Bouncing back and finishing the rest of the trip strong

“I think we just got to continue to stay together, focus on the right things, focus on all of the great habits that we have built. I think we just kind of let go a little bit of it today in some of the more adverse situations. I know our group always responds, so looking forward to getting after it in the next game.”

The Hornets will be back in action Tuesday night in Portland to take on the Trail Blazers. Tip-off for that one is set for 10 p.m. ET.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter for the latest news and updates on the Charlotte Hornets