January 7, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, United States; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) drives past Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) during the second half at Spectrum Middle. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Photos
The Charlotte Hornets have had their last two games postponed due to the tragic Los Angeles wildfires to shorten a five-game trip to a three-game excursion.
The Hornets will return to the court on Sunday night when they visit the Phoenix Suns, who happen to be their most recent opponent.
Charlotte’s games against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday were postponed and will be made up later this season.
After the first postponement, Hornets forward Miles Bridges made it clear that not being able to play a game is nothing compared to people losing their homes and all their belongings.
“It’s more than basketball,” Bridges told The Charlotte Observer. “People are losing their lives, losing their homes. This is just a basketball game, so let’s pray for the families in need and hope the situation improves for them.”
The Hornets practiced at UCLA during their stay in Southern California. Now coach Charles Lee hopes to continue the momentum they had in beating the visiting Suns 115-104 last Tuesday.
Charlotte had lost 18 of 19 games before topping Phoenix.
“I think we’re starting to gain some momentum by having some healthy guys,” Lee said. “And the more reps we get playing together and practicing together will help us in the long run, especially after the Phoenix Suns game. “I want us to continue to build on that.”
LaMelo Ball stood out with 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals against Phoenix. Bridges contributed 21 points and seven rebounds.
The victory snapped Charlotte’s seven-game losing streak against the Suns.
Phoenix received 39 points from Devin Booker and 26 from Kevin Durant in the recent loss to the Hornets. But the rest of the squad combined for only 39 points.
Booker (34) and Durant (25) were the big guns again as the Suns cruised to a 114-106 home win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
But this time three other players scored in double figures: Grayson Allen (14) and Bradley Beal (12) off the bench and new starter Ryan Dunn (10).
Booker (6 of 12) and Allen (4 of 10) combined for 10 of Phoenix’s 13 3-pointers against the Jazz.
“I’m still pushing for more threes and I think it’s just the general pace of the game, just playing faster,” Booker said of creating more opportunities. “Obviously, that starts with stopping and securing the ball, but I feel like we’re at our best when we get a rebound and kick it forward. And that’s how you find individual coverages. You don’t let the defense establish Stand up and take care of us.”
Booker’s strong effort from deep came one game after he missed all eight long-range attempts during Thursday’s 123-115 home win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Durant has scored 20 or more points in 14 consecutive appearances, a streak that includes outings of 43, 37 and 35 points. He has also made at least 60 percent of his shots in three of the last five games.
Beal was recently moved to a bench role, but still gets more than 30 minutes. He has two 25-point scoring efforts since the trade.
Big man Jusuf Nurkic was also recently demoted and has not played in the last two games. The Suns are reportedly shopping Nurkic.
–Media at field level
