Streak busters: What the Hornets said after beating Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio

Give it to DJ aMinor for fighting the urge.

Rather than spinning the current, top hip hop tunes along with some rap classics during the Charlotte Hornets’ outing against San Antonio, he could have easily played something more in line with the home team’s injury woes. Anything that makes for a good game of musical chairs would have sufficed.

It’s been that kind of season for the Hornets and Friday wasn’t any different. Once again, on a night they welcomed Brandon Miller into the fold following a two-game injury absence, they still were shorthanded because their reserve center thrust into the starting lineup due to Mark Williams’ back problems — Nick Richards — joined the Hornets’ sprained ankle crew, keeping him out of their 124-120 win over the Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs at Spectrum Center.

“Me and PJ (Washington) were joking around that in 2021, me and him was playing the ‘5’ a lot,” Miles Bridges said. “So, it’s nothing new to us. We just did what we did in 2021 — rebound, played it tough, switch. But yeah, it was tough having Nick out, but PJ did a great job of picking that up and Nate (Mensah) did a great job coming off the bench.”

Hornets guard Brandon Miller pulls down a rebound during the game against the Spurs at Spectrum Center on Friday, January 19, 2024. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez [email protected]

While Miller bounced back in his usual rubber band-like fashion after getting banged up, Mark Williams’ return appears to be, at minimum, several weeks away. Although he’s putting in some on court work, Williams has not progressed much since explaining his situation to the Observer during the Hornets’ road trip over the holidays.

The contusion he’s dealing with isn’t lightening up very much.

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s very close,” coach Steve Clifford said. “Again, they (the medical staff) come and I talk to him about it. He’s had a couple of setbacks. It’s a back, so it’s not something that you really want to mess around with and he does a little bit on the court. But he’s not doing as much as he was, say, 3 1 ⁄ 2, four weeks ago. So, what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to do the best we can with the players that are available.”

In other words, keep navigating those musical chairs.

“That’s the main thing, just try to find a way no matter what,” LaMelo Ball said. “Whoever is out there, just try to find a way to get the win.”

And for once, that’s exactly what the Hornets (9-30) did.

“(It’s) good for confidence,” Clifford said. “Our group’s been through a lot. I’m really proud of them the way they’ve hung in there. We’ve kept competing, working hard. So, it’s good. It’s just you play every other night. We are in a brutal stretch here. We don’t have two games off again until after the All-Star break. So, it’s important just to win, just to feel good.”

Here’s what else was said of note after the Hornets snapped a six-game losing skid and won for the first time since Jan. 2 in Sacramento:

ON LAMELO BALL ACCOUNTING FOR ALMOST 70% OF THE FOURTH-QUARTER POINTS

“Just was trying to get the win and pull it out for real,” Ball said. “So, just doing everything you could.”

Bridges said: “Just being aggressive. He was being aggressive in the fourth and basically willed us to the win. It was a full team game, but Melo took over in that fourth quarter, did a great job for us to pull out this win.”

“If you go back to before he got hurt, he was first in the NBA in crunch time scoring and he was first in crunch time assists,” Clifford said. “So, he’s been doing that all year. If you look at his shot attempts — well, he only took 13 shots — but I think going into the fourth quarter he has the fourth- or fifth-most attempts on our team. But that’s when he has been more aggressive, has been in the fourth quarters.”

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball celebrates with fans after making a two point basket to solidify a lead as seconds tick away during the game against the Spurs at Spectrum Center on Friday, January 19, 2024. Hornets won, defeating the Spurs, 124-120. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez [email protected]

ON BRANDON MILLER’S PLAY AND HIS RETURN TO LINEUP

“(We’re) completely different,” Bridges said. “I always get on Brandon about being aggressive. He played good, he played aggressive and that’s what we need from him every game. He’s still a rookie, he’s still figuring it out. But once he gets in that mode to play like that consistently, he’s going to be tough.”

Ball said: “It speaks for itself. He’s 6-9, athletic, can defend, shoot. So, whenever you don’t have that you are going to feel it. So, just having that back — smooth.”

“With him, we really miss him in all phases of the game,” Clifford said. “He guards primary scorers, scores 14 a night, has a high IQ, has positional size. He can guard ‘2s’, he can guard ‘3s.’ He’s guarded point guards. Obviously, he’s a valuable player for us. I think whenever you lose one of your four or five best players, it hurts your depth. And for him, we need those points right now, too.”

Said Miller: “Honestly, I think that was just my team just motivating me, giving me the energy I need to go out there, take tough shots, play through tough environments, close games like this. So, I think hats off to the team just boosting my confidence.”

ON HOW THE HORNETS CAN IMPROVE THEIR 3-POINT DEFENSE

“Technique,” Clifford said. “Being detailed, alert. Like the other night (in New Orleans), and this happens a lot when yo get into game 40 or 60, we played with really good offensive energy, But we didn’t have the defensive mentality, disposition or however you want to phrase it, that we needed to.

“It’s not just about playing hard. For all the things that our guys have had tio handle, I really believe effort has been good. It wasn’t great in San Antonio, but for the most part it’s been good. But you have to do all of it and we’ve got to be able to hang in there and keep getting better. We practice well actually. For an NBA team our practices are good. They have a good attitude, they work hard, all the guys are good. But we’ve got to find a way to put a full 48 minutes together.”

Ball said: “It’s pretty much just doing our coverages and listening, everybody staying locked in.”

Hornets center Mark Williams, who did not play, joins teammates on the floor during a timeout during the game against the Spurs at Spectrum Center on Friday, January 19, 2024. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez [email protected]

ON IF NICK RICHARDS WILL BE SIDELINED FOR MORE THAN ONE GAME

“No idea,” Clifford said. “He went out and warmed up and just wasn’t feeling good.”

ON VICTOR WEMBANYAMA SITTING OUT DUE TO REST

“No, it’s not rest, it’s doctors orders,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s been working on his body and he has got a minutes restriction, and is not allowed to play back-to-backs right now. It will probably change very soon. But for now we have to abide by that restriction.”