Hornets where they want to be ahead of play-in game vs. Pacers

Little went right over the last week for the Hornets. Where one win would have sealed them the eighth seed in the play-in tournament, the Hornets lost their final five contests, including a weekend doubleheader in overtime against the Knicks on Saturday and by five points against the Wizards on Sunday.

The end result sees the Hornets in the tenth seed, a massive difference from the eighth seed. Instead of having two chances to win one game with the latter of those contests coming at home, Charlotte will need to win two road games in three days to earn the eighth seed.

It’s been a firsthand lesson in how quickly things can change in the NBA as the Hornets saw their promising, fun regular season end with a disappointing, frustrating flutter.

“The league can go good and go bad really quickly but we’ve had some tough moments,” Cody Zeller said after practice on Monday. “This league isn’t very forgiving. A lot of games are decided by five points or less. It can go bad or go good really quickly.”

As sourly as the regular season may have ended, the Hornets still have a chance to make the playoffs with two wins separating them and a series against the 76ers. Monday, then, served as a chance to reset and recalibrate ahead of a must-win game.

“I feel like everybody’s focused,” Miles Bridges said. “Everybody knows what we have to do tomorrow so everybody’s been focused.”

There are certainly concerns over how much Charlotte has left in the tank. Despite having a deep roster, the Hornets have been battered by injuries all season long, sapping the team of its built-in depth. While their young roster has allowed them youthful energy that may not be available to older, veteran squads facing similar injury issues, even those reserve tanks are quickly depleting.

But head coach James Borrego made it on a point to make it known his team will be ready on Tuesday evening.

“We’ve got a young team and it’s been a grueling season but no excuses,” he said. “This is why you prepare all year. This is why you work in the gym all summer. This is where you want to be. There are no excuses. You got to be up for this.

“If you’re not up for this and you can’t will your body and your mind into performing at its peak right now, we got some problems. But this group is ready to go. No excuses. There’s enough left in the tank, for sure.”

The playoffs will carry with them a different intensity and only a small handful of players on the roster have experienced the postseason. One of them, Gordon Hayward, hasn’t played since April 2, ironically against the Pacers, and will not be returning anytime soon.

Bismack Biyombo was a part of playoff teams with Toronto and in Charlotte in 2014 while Terry Rozier had a number of playoff appearances with Boston. Only Cody Zeller, though, played in the Hornets last playoff series, a seven-game loss in the first round to the Heat in which Zeller played just under 20 minutes per game.

“The intensity definitely picks up,” Zeller said of the postseason. “I’m looking forward to some of these guys experiencing playoff basketball where every possession matters. You can’t take any time off. All 48 minutes matter.”

It sets up a situation where a young, beaten-down Hornets squad will be put in a new scenario as they continue to get a crash course in must-win games late in the season and into the postseason.

As Borrego said on Monday and throughout the season, there are no excuses for these Hornets. Tuesday will be another opportunity for a young program to learn even more about itself.

“Our minds are clear,” Borrego said. “Our spirits are clear. Our energy is up. Our spirits are up. Nobody’s whining, nobody’s complaining. We’re right where we want to be. If you were to sign up for the start of year and say ‘You are going to be in the postseason right now at this time of year,’ I take it.

“Through everything we’ve been through, we’re still standing. We’re still fighting. We’re ready to go and I expect our guys to come out and compete. I expect us to have our best game of the season tomorrow night. Our guys are capable of having that and we’ve been resilient all year. This group has stood up all season so I expect that same effort tomorrow night.”

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