New Orleans hopes the timeframe is as brief as possible, but for now the Pelicans need to figure out a way to compete and win games without the sidelined Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. The most likely path to achieving that is to keep opposing offenses in check, but after a tight first half Friday, Charlotte took over, riding three-point accuracy and a high-powered transition attack to an insurmountable edge on the scoreboard.
Charlotte was up just 61-55 at halftime, before outscoring its hosts 42-27 in the third quarter. The Hornets were shooting 59 percent from the field after that barrage, as well as 42 percent from three-point distance.