Charlotte trailed big early, then turned Spectrum Center into a grind. The Hornets wiped out a 15-point halftime hole and closed with a fourth-quarter squeeze to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 102-95 on Feb. 2, 2026.
The win pushed Charlotte (22-28) to a sixth straight victory, extending a run of form that’s now firmly trending upward. New Orleans (13-38) had control through two quarters, but couldn’t sustain it once Charlotte’s defensive pressure and pace changed the game after intermission.
How the game turned
New Orleans looked comfortable early, winning the first quarter 30-23 and stacking another 34 points in the second to take a 64-49 lead into halftime. Then the floor tilted.
Charlotte ripped off a 29-18 third quarter to immediately cut into the margin, then finished the job with a 24-13 fourth. After allowing 64 points before the break, the Hornets held the Pelicans to 31 points across the final two quarters — the defining number of the night.
Quarter-by-quarter snapshot
First half: Pelicans 64, Hornets 49. New Orleans won both quarters behind 30 in the first and 34 in the second, playing from ahead and forcing Charlotte to chase.
Third quarter: Hornets 29, Pelicans 18. Charlotte’s best stretch of the game, tightening the score and changing the tone with a two-way push.
Fourth quarter: Hornets 24, Pelicans 13. The Pelicans managed just 13 points in the final period as Charlotte closed possessions and controlled the finish.
Possession battle: ball movement vs. ball security
New Orleans finished with 22 assists, outpacing Charlotte’s 16. But the assist edge didn’t translate late, when the Pelicans’ half-court offense bogged down and shot creation dried up. Charlotte didn’t need a big assist total to win; it needed stops, clean execution in winning time, and a steady diet of quality possessions that kept New Orleans from getting back into rhythm.
What it means going forward
For Charlotte, this was the kind of win that reinforces a streak: down 15 at halftime, they didn’t panic, they adjusted, and they won the second half by 22. At 22-28, the Hornets are still digging out of a sub-.500 season, but the current five-game form line has now become six straight wins — and the profile of this one (defense, composure, late-game control) is the most bankable kind.
For New Orleans, the first half showed how quickly it can score when the game is open. The second half showed the margin for error when that scoring dries up. At 13-38, the Pelicans will take the early blueprint — but the closing problem is the headline: 31 points after halftime and 13 in the fourth isn’t enough to win on the road, even with an assist advantage.