Four people in Charlotte basketball jerseys riding in a convertible with the city skyline behind them.

As a NBA fan, I will have to admit that I rarely think about the Charlotte Hornets. To me, they always seem to be that team who is forever rebuilding. Each year they have high draft pick players, who show glimpse of stardom, and then as the season goes the team keeps on tanking and the cycle repeats itself.

This year, it was looking like just another regular “Hornets” year. By December 31st, 2025, they have a 11 win / 22 loss record, ranked the 4th worst team in the Eastern Conference, and 7th worst team in the league.

HOWEVER, this Hornets team just had a HISTORICAL month in January 2026, straight up rolling towards the end of the month. Let’s have a rundown of what they just accomplished.

1. Most Road Game Point Differential in a Calendar Month

You’d never expect a team with a 33% win percentage to tie the NBA record for most point differential in road games in a single calendar month, but amazingly the Hornets just did it! Let’s take a look at the top 5 teams in the history in this category:

#1

Miami Heat

Dec 2010 · MIA road month

Net +151 · +15.10/game · Rank: 1

  • Road Record 10-0
  • PF 1051
  • PA 900

#2

Charlotte Hornets

Jan 2026 · CHA road month

Net +151 · +13.73/game · Rank: 1

  • Road Record 8-3
  • PF 1336
  • PA 1185

#3

Boston Celtics

Feb 2022 · BOS road month

Net +136 · +19.43/game · Rank: 3

  • Road Record 6-1
  • PF 828
  • PA 692

#4

Oklahoma City Thunder

Nov 2025 · OKC road month

Net +132 · +16.50/game · Rank: 4

  • Road Record 7-1
  • PF 993
  • PA 861

#5

San Antonio Spurs

Mar 2014 · SAN road month

Net +131 · +18.71/game · Rank: 5

  • Road Record 7-0
  • PF 785
  • PA 654

What elite company the Charlotte Hornets find themselves in. All other teams in the top 5 are all-time great teams who made it to the NBA finals that year, and two of them end up winning the chip!

So let’s break down what teams they faced on the road:

2026-01 Hornets road games

DateOpponentScoreDifferentialResult
Jan 2, 2026Milwaukee Bucks121–122-1L
Jan 3, 2026Chicago Bulls112–99+13W
Jan 5, 2026Oklahoma City Thunder124–97+27W
Jan 10, 2026Utah Jazz150–95+55W
Jan 12, 2026Los Angeles Clippers109–117-8L
Jan 15, 2026Los Angeles Lakers135–117+18W
Jan 17, 2026Golden State Warriors116–136-20L
Jan 18, 2026Denver Nuggets110–87+23W
Jan 22, 2026Orlando Magic124–97+27W
Jan 28, 2026Memphis Grizzlies112–97+15W
Jan 29, 2026Dallas Mavericks123–121+2W

Ahh now we see why Hornets came on top on this most point differential list despite losing 3 games: Most of their wins are blowout wins!. In particular, the +55 win against Utah Jazz alone counts as more than 1/3 of their net differential of the month. It’s worth noting that this +55 win ranks #5 in the largest road-win margins in NBA history, just 2pts shy of the top spot.

Moreover, the Hornets also put up a string of true giant-slayer performances on the road. Coming to the enemies’ territory, they blew out an OKC team with the best record in the league by a wide margin, handled a Luka and LeBron led Lakers squad, and dismantled a hot Nuggets team that had been rolling even in Jokić’s absence.
These weren’t narrow escapes or late-game coin flips. They were decisive wins. That deserves real credit. It’s a true testament to the Hornets’ offensive execution and shot-making ability, especially against elite competitions on the road.

2. A Six-Game Winning Streak (Last Seen in 2016)

Towards the end of the January, the Hornets is straight-up on fire, putting together a six-game winning streak:

Charlotte Hornets Current 6-Game Win streak (01/22/2026-01/31/2026)

DateMatchupScoreDifferentialResult
Jan 22, 2026@ Orlando Magic124–97+27W
Jan 24, 2026vs Washington Wizards119–115+4W
Jan 26, 2026vs Philadelphia 76ers130–93+37W
Jan 28, 2026@ Memphis Grizzlies112–97+15W
Jan 29, 2026@ Dallas Mavericks123–121+2W
Jan 31, 2026vs San Antonio Spurs111–106+5W

The last time they won 6 straight or more was March of 2016, almost 10 years ago! That Hornets team features a young Kemba Walker and Nicholas Batum (who just began his first season with the Hornets, coming from Portland), with Jeremy Lin and Al Jefferson coming off the bench 😂😂. For real tho, checkout the box score for their win over the Suns. Man, that really brings back some nostalgia, doesn’t it?

Charlotte Hornets Last 6-Game or More Win Streak (03/01/2016 – 03/12/2016)

DateMatchupScoreDifferentialResult
Mar 1, 2016vs Phoenix Suns126–92+34W
Mar 2, 2016@ Philadelphia 76ers119–99+20W
Mar 4, 2016vs Indiana Pacers108–101+7W
Mar 7, 2016vs Minnesota Timberwolves108–103+5W
Mar 9, 2016vs New Orleans Pelicans122–113+9W
Mar 11, 2016vs Detroit Pistons118–103+15W
Mar 12, 2016vs Houston Rockets125–109+16W

To really put this in perspective, consider how recently other NBA teams have put together a 6-game (or longer) winning streak. For most franchises, the answer is very recent.

That said, a few teams stand out as having gone a bit longer without one. The Pelicans last reached a 6+ game streak in November 2022, ending a seven-game run. The Nets did it in January 2023, capping a massive 12-game streak (with their Big 3 in KD, Kyrie and the Beard). The Wizards last managed one in January 2023 as well, topping out at six straight wins.

But even those “long gaps” are only about three years ago.

For the Hornets, though, you have to go back nearly a decade.

That contrast says everything. For the first time in a while, the Hornets look like a team with real momentum, and it really just shows how special this current Hornets team has been. Hope they can keep on rolling and keep extending their win streak.

3. Putting the League on Notice

The Hornets’ recent surge hasn’t gone unnoticed. As their January run caught fire, they start to accumulate some league-wide recognition, both at the individual and team level: