Hornets head coach Charles Lee addressed his team’s performance after Charlotte fell 114-99 to the Boston Celtics at the Spectrum Center on Sunday night.
Lee said, “What I liked about the way our guys continued to play was the ability to just fight through adversity to be honest. We started the game, we got great looks, hit the other side of the backboard a couple times which is uncharacteristic for us, but there was no quit.”
He highlighted the team’s effort despite fatigue, adding, “We played a hell of a game yesterday. Today helped us get better. You got to find a way to keep digging down.”
On the defense against Boston, Lee noted, “I thought it held up well. Give Tatum credit. He hit some tough shots. Give the rest of the team credit. We tried to double team them a couple times… but there was no backing down by any stretch of the imagination.” He also pointed out the rebounding effort, saying, “Still only gave up like eight offensive rebounds to a team that I think is really good at crashing the glass. A ton of really good things.”
Addressing Charlotte’s shooting struggles, Lee explained, “We weren’t very sharp which occasionally hurt us defensively and offensively. When we were sharp and got some good looks, we just weren’t able to knock them down. Some of those errors in defensive lapses… there’s no excuses for that, but some of the other stuff was just make or miss.”
Lee emphasized the lessons from facing top Eastern Conference teams, stating, “These type of games make you stronger. They build your character. Sometimes that’s what the postseason’s like. If you’re fortunate enough to be in the playoffs, you might lose a game and have to recover and bounce back and learn from that.”
He also discussed team growth and connectedness, adding, “Our versatility, our connectedness, and really our competitiveness is really unique and special. Defensively, we switch up matchups, coverages… to be one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the league and one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league just shows the competitive spirit of the group.”
Regarding LaMelo Ball’s offense, Lee said, “He got some good looks in the first half. We set some great screens, drew up some plays for him… Once all of a sudden he saw one go in, he was able to find a little bit of a rhythm.”
The Hornets, who entered the game leading the NBA in made 3-pointers, struggled from deep, finishing 12 of 43 from beyond the arc. LaMelo Ball scored 19 points and Miles Bridges added 14, while Brandon Miller, Ball, and Kon Knueppel combined for 7 of 27 on 3-point attempts. Boston’s Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 32 points, and Payton Pritchard added 28 in the Celtics’ third consecutive win.
Charlotte closes its seven-game homestand 5-2 after Sunday’s loss and will travel to Brooklyn on Tuesday, while Boston heads to Atlanta on Monday.
