LaMelo Ball scored 24 points and the Charlotte Hornets won their seventh consecutive game by overcoming a 22-point deficit to defeat the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 102-95 on Monday afternoon.
Kon Knueppel chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds and Brandon Miller added 16 points and eight rebounds. Grant Williams provided 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench and fellow reserve Ryan Kalkbrenner supplied 10 points for Charlotte, which is on its longest winning streak in nearly 10 years.
Ball struggled at times, shooting 3-for-14 on 3-pointers, but he was 5-for-6 from inside the arc. He also contributed eight rebounds and a team-high five assists.
The Pelicans, who scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter and 31 for the whole second half, lost for the third time in their last four games despite Trey Murphy III’s 27 points. Derik Queen contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, while Zion Williamson added 14 points and 11 boards.
Charlotte committed 16 turnovers and was limited to 16 assists, but held a 59-34 rebounding advantage. Six Hornets had seven or more rebounds.
Murphy shrugged off a recent shooting slump, going 3-for-8 on 3-pointers after making only seven total 3s in his last four games combined. He was 10-for-20 overall from the field.
The Pelicans built a 64-49 lead by halftime. When Charlotte scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter, it gave the Hornets an 87-82 lead.
The Pelicans went cold, managing just seven points — with the only two field goals coming from Williamson — in the first nine minutes of the final quarter.
Soon after, Charlotte’s advantage grew to 98-89.
The Hornets finished 12-for-50 on 3-point attempts, with more than half of their 85 total shots coming from long range.
The game was another in a recent series of Charlotte home games that had a time change, with tip-off moved up four hours due to weather concerns.
