The Charlotte Hornets lost their sixth straight game to one of the top teams in the West on Friday, falling 126-106 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was just a rough game all around for Charlotte, who was down by as many as 30 points before extended garbage time. Things just never really materialized for the Hornets on the road against a top-tier opponent.
The loss pushes them to 10-37 overall and 5-19 away from home. That's tied for the second worst road record in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. There's a lot of low lights to touch on, but let's get to the bright spot of another Hornets defeat.
Brandon Miller keeps making progress
Miller had a team-high 28 points for his squad Friday night on efficient 11-of-19 overall shooting and 5-of-8 from three. That's his 13th 20-point game in his debut campaign, second-most among rookies behind Victor Wembanyama's 26.
Miller is growing on a nightly basis, expanding his game every time he takes the floor even in more losing team efforts than winning ones. Still, his development is fun to watch if you're a fan. For Miller and the rest of the Hornets, though, it might not mean a whole lot. Miller wasn't satisfied despite being two points shy of setting a new career-high.
“You don't create competitive sprit,” Steve Clifford said when asked about Miller being visibly unhappy with the loss. “That's something I think is the number one thing to look for in a player and he wants to win every night. There's nothing more important than that.”
Clifford is on the money. All truly great players in the league are made of something different than merely good ones. Player with the higher competitive drive can have a better career than most, propelling them to drives them to improve at a rapid pace.
Maybe Brandon Miller, still just 21, is one of those guys. Keep a close eye on this man as the Hornets' season continues.
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