Hornets get clamped up by Rockets in series finale

The Hornets had trouble with Houston's elite defense.

Dec 23, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun (31) gets the ball stripped by Houston Rockets forward Jae’ Sean Tate (8) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets opened their season with a stunning 110-105 upset victory over the Houston Rockets. Things have changed significantly since then. The Hornets have won just six times since then, while the Rockets have lost just eight times since that night.

Anyone hoping to recpature that season-opening magic was left wanting tonight. The Rockets showed why they're a top-tier squad in the West, the deeper conference. The Hornets looked like an Easter Conference basement-dweller.

The talent disparity was evident, although it's worth noting that Brandon Miller was absent. He might've helped, though he likely wouldn't have swung it all the way into Charlotte's favor. The game was out of hand after one half.

The Hornets were down 31-15 in the first quarter. They were unable to get past half the Rockets' total by halftime when they trailed 62-31. The third quarter was markedly better with 35 points, but they allowed 30. It wasn't enough, and the fourth quarter was a lot more of the same, although the Hornets did do enough not to get laughed out of their own building.

The Rockets came in with the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. They showed it, and the Hornets had no answers. The Rockets played pretty well on offense, but they didn't really need to. Jeff Green was in the game during the fourth quarter, which says a lot.

Best of the night: LaMelo Ball's shot selection

At times, LaMelo Ball is tempted (and cannot resist) to take a bunch of shots. For evidence, look no further than the last time he played against the Washington Wizards. Ball scored a team-high 34 points... on 32 shots. He made 11 of them.

That was against a bad defense, so one can only imagine what it could've looked like against an elite unit. Ball tends to press at times, but he didn't. Maybe he needed to be more aggressive, but shooting 50% from the field and 45% from three (with a few misses to close the game bringing that down) shows some growth and understanding from Ball.

Worst of the night: First-half offense

As mentioned, the Hornets played dismally in the first half. Their defense was horrible, allowing 31 points in each quarter. They scored 31 in total in the entire half. They missed shots, turned the ball, over, and just generally struggled. Getting behind against a lockdown defense like the one the Rockets employ is a losing strategy, and that's exactly what happened.

Stat of the night: Bridges FG% in the fourth

Miles Bridges did his best to bring the Hornets back into the contest. He was perfect in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 of his 24 points on perfect shooting. He was 5/5 and 4/4 from the free-throw line, including completing a four-point play. For good measure, he had four of his eight rebounds in the fourth.

Highlight of the night:

🔨🔨@MilesBridges | @drpepper | 📹 @FDSN_Hornets

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) December 24, 2024

The Hornets will look to stop their five-game losing streak against the Washington Wizards, who they lost to a few days ago, on Thursday, December 26 at 7:00 pm EST.

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