– Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
The Hornets (32-35) hung around for much of the first three quarters, but the Suns built a 20-point lead in the final stanza. The loss continued a recent run in which New Orleans has seen the gap between it and Portland rapidly expand. Consider that on Feb. 27, the Hornets were only two games out of eighth place. Two weeks later, after New Orleans has gone 1-7 and Portland conversely has gone 7-1, the two-game margin has quadrupled to eight games.
Even if New Orleans were to win all of its remaining 15 games, it still would not be able to overtake Portland unless the Blazers finished worse than 7-6 in their final 13 contests.
Tracking the T'Wolves
Young Pups
Owning Up