Hornets Hope to Capitalize on Suns' Road Struggles

The Hornets and Suns are both jockeying for playoff positioning in their respective conferences.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:25am

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The Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns, both in the NBA's play-in tournament picture, will face off on Thursday night in Charlotte. The Hornets have won six of their last eight games and are looking to improve their standing in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Meanwhile, the Suns have struggled on the road, going 18-19 away from home. The Suns recently lost to the Orlando Magic, their fifth road loss in their last six road games.

Why it matters

This matchup between the Hornets and Suns is crucial as both teams aim to solidify their playoff positioning. The Hornets are hoping to take advantage of the Suns' road woes, while the Suns are looking to regain their winning touch away from home.

The details

The Hornets are coming off a dominant 117-86 win over the Brooklyn Nets, with swingman Brandon Miller leading the way with 25 points. Charlotte coach Charles Lee praised the team's ball movement in that game. The Suns, on the other hand, lost 115-111 to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, leaving them at 18-19 on the road this season. Suns coach Jordan Ott made the decision to limit the playing time of Jalen Green in the loss to the Magic.

  • The Hornets and Suns will face off on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
  • The Hornets recently won 117-86 over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, April 1, 2026.
  • The Suns lost 115-111 to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, April 1, 2026.

The players

Brandon Miller

A swingman for the Charlotte Hornets who led the team with 25 points in their recent win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Charles Lee

The head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, who praised his team's ball movement in their win over the Nets.

Jalen Green

A player for the Phoenix Suns who saw limited playing time in their loss to the Orlando Magic.

Jordan Ott

The head coach of the Phoenix Suns, who made the decision to limit Jalen Green's playing time in the loss to the Magic.

Devin Booker

A star player for the Phoenix Suns who scored 34 points in their loss to the Magic and had 30 points in a previous win over the Hornets.

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What they’re saying

“I think the heart is there, the heart is showing every night. We're competing at the highest level against any team on any given night, and just building wins for the city of Charlotte. I think we've been doing a great job with that.”

— Brandon Miller, Hornets Swingman

“It was beautiful basketball. The thing that we tried to talk about at halftime is not going away from what helped us build that big lead, and the ball movement was beautiful.”

— Charles Lee, Hornets Coach

“Not injured. We just decided to go smaller, play smaller and use some other guys in that stretch that he's normally in.”

— Jordan Ott, Suns Coach

What’s next

The Hornets and Suns will face off again on Thursday, April 2, 2026 in Charlotte. This game will be crucial for both teams as they continue to jockey for position in the NBA's play-in tournament.

The takeaway

This matchup between the Hornets and Suns highlights the importance of home-court advantage and road performance in the NBA playoff race. The Hornets will look to capitalize on the Suns' road struggles, while the Suns aim to regain their winning touch away from home.