This one stings. We're here to talk through one of the most painful losses of the season, a 116-112 defeat where the Hornets collapsed against the previously winless New Orleans Pelicans. Charlotte was in control, holding a lead for much of the fourth quarter, but everything fell apart in the final minutes during a brutal 11-0 run by the Pelicans.

Fans are pointing fingers directly at coach Charles Lee, and we have to examine those final possessions. We question the offensive set designed for Kon Knueppel—a pick-and-pop three while up by two—and the lack of creativity when a bucket was essential.

However, the blame doesn't stop with the coach. The players had an "embarrassment of mistakes." We look at Miles Bridges' rushed three-pointer with plenty of time left, Collin Sexton's defensive struggles all night, and a pair of critical late turnovers by Tre Mann. Even Sion James had a costly inbound error reminiscent of his time at Duke.

While the rookies continue to be a bright spot, this game showed how much this team misses the stabilizing presence of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. This was a full-team loss, and we're sorting through the wreckage.

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