Hornets hope to use Suns to recover from stinging loss

The Charlotte Hornets will attempt to rebound from one of their most disappointing losses of the season Saturday night when they host the NBA's losingest team, the Phoenix Suns.

Needing every victory possible in a seriously uphill climb in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Hornets let a winnable game slip away Thursday in a 125-111 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

The loss was Charlotte's fifth in a row after a five-game winning streak that temporarily had the Hornets within arm's length of the final playoff spot in the East.

"We're not in a good situation right now," Hornets guard Nic Batum said after a loss that put the Hornets (28-38) 6 1/2 games behind with 16 to play. "It won't be easy. I can't say impossible, but won't be easy."

Most opponents have found the Suns to be easy pickings this season. Phoenix's loss at Oklahoma City on Thursday night was its 48th of the season.

The Suns have lost more than 48 games just nine times in their 49-year history.

The loss to the Thunder came despite a 30-point effort from guard Devin Booker, the 22nd time he has gone for 30 or more this season.

Phoenix has won just nine of those 22 games.

"I think back to those games I never played, so every time I'm out there, I try to give it my all," Booker said after the loss. "I don't care if we're down 50 points, 100 points, I'm going to play hard every possession."

The Suns have lost four in a row and 14 of their last 15. Their most recent win came Feb. 28 at Memphis.

Booker had 34 points in that game. He has averaged 32.0 points in his last seven outings.

He was held to 18 points when the Hornets won 115-110 on Feb. 4 at Phoenix. Dwight Howard had 18 points and 14 rebounds in that game.

Charlotte has struggled defensively pretty much ever since. The Hornets have allowed 121 or more points six times in their last 15 games, including 128 to Philadelphia and 125 to Brooklyn in the first two games of the homestand that ends Saturday.

The Nets, one of the poorest shooting teams in the league, scorched the nets at a 51.1 percent rate on Thursday.

And now the Hornets must go forward without Michael Carter-Williams, who suffered a torn labrum and is out for the season.

If there's good news for the Hornets, it's that the Suns' defense has been equally inept in recent games. They've allowed 120 or more points nine times in their last 17 outings.

Phoenix's offense has gotten a boost from point guard Elfrid Payton, acquired from Orlando at the trade deadline.

After averaging 11.1 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 281 games for the Magic, Payton has bumped up those numbers to 14.8 points, 7.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds in his first 11 games for the Suns.

He's just 6 of 23 in his last two games, totaling 15 points, but he'd been spectacular before that, posting two triple-doubles and two other double-doubles.

Payton has just one double-double in 12 career meetings with the Hornets.