{"id":691403,"date":"2026-04-01T07:04:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T07:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/691403\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T07:04:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T07:04:22","slug":"brandon-miller-miles-bridges-help-hornets-roll-past-nets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/691403\/","title":{"rendered":"Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges help Hornets roll past Nets"},"content":{"rendered":"

During this stretch run, school is constantly in session for the Charlotte Hornets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a collective unit, the Hornets are in new territory as they march toward the NBA\u2019s play-in tournament while each outing has a distinctive teaching tool of its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things we learned is playing really good teams,\u201d coach Charles Lee said, \u201cespecially at this point in the year \u2014 meaningful games \u2014 there\u2019s carryover whether you win or whether you lose, you have to move on quickly. Because the opponent is going to be a high-evel team and you can\u2019t dwell on what happened the night before win or lose.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to learn a lesson and move on quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s precisely what the Hornets did in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, pummeling the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center to halt a two-game losing streak at the hands of Philadelphia and Boston over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Handling business against Brooklyn (before returning to Charlotte for a two-game home stand against Phoenix and Indiana) was key, and the Hornets (40-36) moved back into a virtual tie with Miami (40-36) in the Eastern Conference. They sit a half-game behind eighth-place Orlando (40-35). However, the Heat holds the tiebreaker, so the Hornets are in 10th place in the conference with six games left.<\/p>\n

\"Miles Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets dunks the ball against Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets. Ishika Samant Getty Images <\/p>\n

Still, the Hornets did what was required in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust their ability to respond to a loss, to a win,\u201d Lee said. \u201cJust their ability to come together in these moments. This was a very mature victory by the group, High-character victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what else the Hornets had to say of note in Brooklyn:<\/p>\n

On the offense<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of guys that can put the ball in the basket and we play an unselfish brand of basketball, so that helps a lot,\u201d the Hornets\u2019 Coby White<\/a> said. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve got guys that make shots and you move the ball, it\u2019s easy to have multiple guys in double figures. That\u2019s kind of what we look for when we play \u2014 is play together, move the ball and let the guys make plays.\u201d<\/p>\n

On LaMelo Ball being more vocal<\/p>\n

\u201cMelo has definitely grown in his vocal leadership this year,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI think a ton of it comes from, No. 1, he is giving it on both ends of the floor. And by giving the competitive spirit, the effort that you need defensively and offensively, I think him feeling that engagement on both ends also makes him more comfortable now in speaking out and holding guys accountable to those standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the standards that he sets, and he wants to make sure we are all living by and choosing to just compete at that level. So I\u2019m really proud of the progress he\u2019s made with his vocal leadership, because it\u2019s huge for us. When one of your best players is your hardest, most engaged players, it starts to become contagious throughout.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LaMelo LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Ishika Samant Getty Images On Kon Knueppel\u2019s case for Rookie of the Year<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just found a way to impact winning in so many different ways,\u201d Lee said of Knueppel. \u201cHe\u2019s elevated our standards just like some of our veteran players that have been here for a while. But to have a guy come in as young as he is and have an impact at this level consistently every night is really impressive. We\u2019re feeling it defensively, we\u2019re seeing it offensively where he doesn\u2019t have a crazy high usage. He still has other guys out there to play off and play with.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he\u2019s able to be consistent, and that is the part that I think is really impressive, is just his willingness to do whatever is needed to impact winning and then also the consistency behind it. It\u2019s just a testament to how he approaches every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kon Kon Knueppel (right) of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball against Noah Clowney of the Brooklyn Nets. Ishika Samant Getty Images Pat Connaughton is a finalist for Twyman-Stokes teammate of year<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of Pat being a finalist in that category,\u201d Lee said. \u201cAs much as we\u2019ve talked with our team about the competitiveness, we are also huge on togetherness. And to have a guy like him who understands what the competition looks like on the floor, but is still here to kind of enhance the environment, help celebrate his teammates, give his teammates wisdom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he models a lot of the behavior we want from all our players, what it looks like in terms of the professionalism necessary. The engagement level he has at all times \u2014 practice, individual workouts, games. \u2026 He\u2019s been a huge boost for us.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Roderick Boone<\/a><\/p>\n

The Charlotte Observer<\/p>\n

Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he\u2019s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching \u201cThe Fresh Prince of Bel Air\u201d endlessly.
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