The Charlotte Hornets saw their franchise-record 10-game road winning streak snapped in Phoenix on Sunday and now aim to start a new streak in a city where they have historically struggled.

Charlotte will attempt to earn just their second victory in 18 trips to Portland when they face the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. The Hornets’ struggles in Portland include a 15-game skid following a March 2008 win, back when the franchise was known as the Bobcats. Charlotte didn’t win again in the Pacific Northwest until February 2024, posting a 93-80 victory. However, they lost the next matchup, 141-88, on Feb. 22, 2025.

Second-year Hornets coach Charles Lee is focused on snapping the team’s two-game overall losing streak. Charlotte fell 128-120 to the visiting Miami Heat on Friday and 111-99 to the Suns on Sunday.

“We’ve just got to continue to stay together, focus on the right things,” Lee said. “Focus on all the great habits that we have built, and we just kind of let go of it a little bit (Sunday) in some of the more adverse situations. Our group always responds, so looking forward to getting after it in the next game.”

Before Sunday, the Hornets had not lost on the road since a 136-116 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 17. During the 10-game streak, Charlotte won by more than 20 points on five occasions. Against the Suns, however, the Hornets managed just 41 second-half points.

“The whole night, (the Suns) really amped up their physicality,” Lee said. “Early in the game, we had a nice rhythm going, and then all of a sudden, as they got down, they just started being a little bit more active. Their overall defensive activity was the thing that bothered us the most.”

LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 22 points and six assists, including four three-pointers. He has made 17 in four games this month. Brandon Miller added 26 points for the Hornets.

Portland enters the matchup off a 131-111 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Scoot Henderson scored a season-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, added six assists, and had no turnovers in 26 minutes.

“That was the game plan,” Henderson said. “Don’t turn the ball over … just trying to take care of the ball more.”

Henderson, a third-year point guard, missed the first 51 games of the season due to a torn left hamstring and made his season debut on Feb. 6. He is averaging 12.9 points and 4.5 assists in 13 games but has struggled from the field, shooting 39.3% overall and 25.4% from three-point range.

“It was a great bounce-back from him, just being aggressive,” Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “He helped us push the pace, he made shots and drove strong to the basket, so the confidence is there.”

Henderson, who had a rough outing in Portland’s 109-93 loss to Charlotte on Feb. 28, remains confident. “Never doubted myself ever,” he said. “Good games or bad game, it’s a next-play mentality.”

Jrue Holiday scored 25 points for Portland, while All-Star Deni Avdija returned from a six-game absence to contribute 18 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and three blocks in 25 minutes.

-Field Level Media/Reuters