With a no-good, very bad, six-game road trip and the Christmas holiday in their rear-view mirror, the Portland Trail Blazers return to the Moda Center tonight to take on the Charlotte Hornets. After the 2-4 swing away from home, the Blazers hold a 17-16 record. It seems disappointing until you look at the Hornets at 9-24, headed straight for Wembanyama Nirvana.
Caution: two of those nine wins have come in Charlotte’s last three games, courtesy of the returned LaMelo Ball, who posted 23 in each. Even without Ball, the Hornets were capable of cracking 120 points.