Charlotte Hornets continued their remarkable midseason turnaround Wednesday night, extending their winning streak to six games with a dominant 118-89 victory over the Boston Celtics. The result further extended Charlotte’s streak of consecutive wins by at least 15 points and prompted ESPN analysts to warn Eastern Conference contenders about the surging team.
The Hornets’ latest victory reinforced their status as one of the league’s hottest teams, drawing attention during Thursday’s broadcast of Get Up.
Alan Hahn described Charlotte as a dangerous opponent lurking in the playoff race.
“A dragon slayer hiding in plain sight. They're in the play-in right now. They're the 9th seed. They're finally at .500 for the first time, I think, since Grandmama and Muggsy Bogues. We have not seen them play like this for a long time, but they are that team with this offense, and a defense, by the way, that over these 20 games is top 3.”
Hahn added that Charlotte’s balanced performance on both ends of the floor makes them a difficult matchup for top teams in the conference.
“So, they’re not only playing great offense, they’re playing great defense too. They are that team that, if you're a contender, if you're a high seed, a #1, #2 or #3, and you have to face them in the first round, you don't want to because they are the unknown and they can also play free.”
🗣️ @alanhahn: “A dragon slayer hiding in plain sight. They're in the play-in right now. They're the 9th seed. They're finally at .500 for the first time, I think, since Grandmama and Muggsy Bogues. We have not seen them play like this for a long time, but they are that team with… pic.twitter.com/Gze5F5ANwA
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) March 5, 2026
Jay Williams compares surging Hornets to younger Celtics amid hot stretch
Former NBA guard Jay Williams echoed that sentiment, comparing the Hornets’ playing style to a younger version of the Celtics.
“They're like a younger version of the Boston Celtics. Their games actually mirror each other, and they have the best offense in the league since January 1st. I'm not gonna call them title contenders, but if you're the Knicks, if you're Detroit, if you're Cleveland, you gotta match up with Charlotte and that offense in the first round… that is danger territory.”
Charlotte’s win over Boston improved the team to 31-30 on the season, marking the first time the franchise has climbed above .500 since Oct. 26 when it improved to 2-1 following a 139-113 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Over the past 15 games, Charlotte has ranked among the league’s most efficient teams. The Hornets are ninth in scoring during that stretch at 115.7 points per game while leading the NBA in perimeter shooting at 40.1%. The team is also averaging 18.6 made three-pointers and holding opponents to just 104.8 points per game, the second-best defensive mark in the league during that span. Charlotte’s 10.9 net rating ranks second across the NBA over the same period.
Despite the surge, the Hornets currently sit ninth in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the standings remain tightly packed, and Charlotte trails the Toronto Raptors (35-26) by only 4.5 games for the fifth seed.
Charlotte will attempt to extend its winning streak Friday night when it hosts the Miami Heat (33-29) at 7:00 p.m. ET before beginning a four-game Western Conference road trip against the Phoenix Suns (35-26) on Sunday at 10:00 p.m. ET.
