Hornets' Effort Falls Short Against Suns in Spectrum Center Duel

The Charlotte Hornets, with a record of 17-50, faced off against the Phoenix Suns, who came into the game with a 39-28 record. The contest concluded with the Suns outpacing the Hornets 107-96.

In front of a home crowd at Spectrum Center, the Charlotte Hornets displayed resilience against a tough Phoenix Suns team. Despite trailing for most of the game and only leading for just over four minutes, they managed to keep fans on their toes with an energetic performance. The Hornets' bench contributed significantly to their effort, chipping in 30 points to keep them within striking distance.

The home team's fast break execution was particularly impressive; they converted seven out of eight opportunities into 16 points. This high-octane approach showcased their ability to capitalize on turnovers and transition quickly from defense to offense. Moreover, drawing fouls proved advantageous for the Hornets as they attempted 27 free throws throughout the night, making 20.

On offense, Charlotte made concerted efforts inside by taking more than half their shots from two-point range and finishing those attempts at a commendable rate of 51 percent. They also fought hard under both baskets as evidenced by grabbing twelve offensive rebounds which led to nine second-chance points.

Defensively though, there were challenges as they struggled to contain Phoenix's shooters who managed an effective field goal percentage of 52 percent. The visitors also dominated in rebounding with sixty-one total rebounds compared to fifty-six from Charlotte.

Despite these hurdles and being down by as much as twenty-five points during one stretch of play, the Hornets showed tenacity by cutting down turnovers – committing only five compared to ten from their opponents – and maintaining an assists turnover ratio that reflected careful ball handling at five times more assists than turnovers.

Looking ahead after this hard-fought battle at Spectrum Center where eighteen thousand six hundred thirteen fans witnessed intense basketball action between these two teams tied twice and exchanged leads six times throughout regulation time.