Hornets coach Steve Clifford upset at the way Charlotte played defense in losing 113-106 to Sacramento on Wednesday night.
1. Clifford Pulls No Punches
Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford walked into the press room after the game, sat down at a table on stage, looked across the media and spoke from the heart about the great disappointment he has in his team's last few outings.
"I love our team," Clifford said. "Our guys have done a great job to get back here. But when you have a way to play to win, you have to commit to that and it can't be a sometimes thing. The worst thing when you play 82 games is a "sometimes" team. And let's face it, that's what we are.
"Do we have room for error? Almost none. Do we have to play all out 48 minutes a night with all out enthusiasm, energy, toughness and intelligence? Yes, we do."
Clifford went on to say that if Charlotte (28-35), which drops to ninth in the Eastern Conference, continues to play defense like it has, then the postseason won't even be a factor.
"If we're going to play like this, forget the playoffs, we can't win like this," he said. "We can't play like this. You have to know who you are and you have to play to your game."
It wasn't just the fact that the Kings (22-41) took 30 free throws or shot 47.1 percent from the field, Clifford being upset had more to do with the not playing smart and making what he considers silly mistakes.
"We started the game with no defensive mentality," he said. "We're not running back, we're not organized and we're not doing any of the stuff that we talk about in the shoot-arounds. So, we're easy to play against."
2. Walker Returns For Charlotte
Hornets point guard Kemba Walker returned to the court Wednesday night for the first time since Jan. 23, after undergoing left knee surgery to remove a cyst.
Walker entered the game with 2:33 remaining in the first quarter and received a rousing ovation from the crowd.
He missed his first two shots before draining a 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key.
Walker played a total of 7:20 in the first half, and 16:24 for the game. He finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting. He also added two assists and missed his only two free throw attempts.
"I felt good," Walker said. "I've got to try to get back to playing the way I was before I went out. ... I just went straight to it. There's no reason to easy into anything."
Clifford said Walker's situation is fluid.
"I think it will be an everyday evaluation," he said. "We'll watch the (game film) carefully. ... We'll watch him practice tomorrow and just do the same thing. We'll go day-by-day."
Before his injury, Walker averaged 18.8 points per game on 39.9 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range, while 5.2 assists per game.
During his absence, Charlotte went 12-8.
3. More Injuries
As has been the case since the before training camp, Charlotte just camp seem to keep an entire healthy roster together.
On the night Walker returns after a prolonged absence, starting power forward Cody Zeller was inactive because of a shoulder sprain he sustained Monday night.
However, even more damaging was the loss of Al Jefferson, who developed soreness in his right calf during the third quarter and missed the rest of the game. As Jefferson hobbled to the bench, he told Clifford that he "heard a pop."
Moments later, Jefferson went to the locker room, where he stayed for the remainder of the game.
Clifford said Jefferson will be reevaluated tomorrow.
"I don't know how bad it is," Clifford said. "I mean, it was obviously significant enough he wasn't coming back into the game."
11 -- The career-high number of assists for Hornets shooting guard Gerald Henderson.
10 -- The number of free throws missed by Charlotte in 26 attempts.
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