If anyone had said before the season that the Charlotte Hornets would be one of the hottest teams in the NBA, the prediction would have been ridiculous. Well, the Hornets are laughing now.
The Hornets recorded their eighth straight win after defeating the Houston Rockets 109-99 at the Toyota Center on Thursday.
Charlotte is on an eight-game winning streak for the first time, according to ESPN Since the 2000–2001 season. This tied the team's longest winning streak since winning nine in a row in the 1988–1999 season.
Charlotte is on an 8-game winning streak for the first time since 2000–01.
The Hornets were the only NBA team not to win eight consecutive games in that span. pic.twitter.com/T6sywh0XG7
– ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) 6 February 2026
Kon Nueppel led the scoring against the Rockets with 24 points on 8 of 13 shooting. LaMelo Ball added 20 points, including five three-pointers, six rebounds and four assists, while Miles Bridges added 18 points and the same number of rebounds and assists.
Charlotte led by 22 points and shot 40% from beyond the arc.
The Hornets were attacking the Rockets so badly that coach Ime Udoka decided to take his starters out with still eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Many people didn't give Charlotte a chance before the season. After all, the team has not made the playoffs for the past nine years, the longest active drought in the NBA. But with Ball staying relatively healthy, Knueppel being an immediate revelation, and Bridges and Brandon Miller providing consistent support, the Hornets have become an unexpected threat in the Eastern Conference.
They added even more offensive firepower after acquiring Coby White from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline.
The Hornets will face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
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