NBA scores 2014: Charlotte loses 9th straight and 3 other things we learned

By all accounts, Charlotte had a good offseason. It ditched the Bobcats moniker, added Lance Stephenson, adopted a sweet-lookin' color scheme and added a couple of promising first-round picks to a team that was the No. 8 seed in the East. With the new additions and another year of growth, the newly-named Hornets were supposed to improve offensively while continuing the same top-10 defense that led them to the playoffs.

It hasn't worked. On Saturday, the Hornets hit a new low in a 105-75 loss to the Atlanta Hawks that dropped them to 4-14 -- the fourth-worst record in the NBA. At halftime, Charlotte had only 28 points and trailed by 36. The Hornets' halftime shot chart showed just how miserable their play was.

The Hornets first half shot chart...parental discretion advised. pic.twitter.com/Ge9svKm1V2

— Hive Talk Live (@HiveTalkLive) November 30, 2014

There isn't just one problem Charlotte can point to; it's the offense and the defense. The frontcourt and the perimeter. On Saturday, Lance Stephenson scored six points on 3-of-9 shooting -- a microcosm of his terrible season to date where he's averaging less than 10 points and shooting only 37 percent from the field. Kemba Walker only had four points on 2-of-9 shooting, and Cody Zeller, the team's starting power forward, was 0-of-6 from the field. Through three quarters on Saturday, the Hornets were shooting 29 percent from the field and 17 percent on 3-pointers.

When Cleveland's Big 3 all get going, good luck stopping them. The Pacers did well to hang around against the Cavaliers in the first half and were only down by three at halftime despite 22 points from Kevin Love and 15 from Kyrie Irving. But once a quiet LeBron James heated up in the third quarter -- for 11 points, on 5-of-7 shooting and with three assists -- Indiana had no chance of keeping up. Cleveland led by 16 heading into the final quarter and LeBron didn't even need to play the fourth.

The 76ers are going to win one of these days, and we will feel so happy for them because they try so hard. It's hard to watch Philadelphia play basketball because the Sixers refuse to lose, but they just aren't good enough to win. A 110-103 loss to Dallas drops them to 0-16, despite leading 85-84 late in the third quarter and only trailing by four points with five minutes to play. On one play, K.J. McDaniels added up four offensive rebounds before finally making the shot around the rim! But, even without Dirk Nowitzki, who took the night off for rest, the Mavericks showed too much talent and the Sixers never had an answer for Tyson Chandler's 20 points and 13 rebounds around the glass.

Anthony Davis and Marcin Gortat should definitely have a rivalry. When's the last time the starting centers in a game were the top two scorers? Davis had a 30-point, 13-rebound double-double, but Gortat's 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks was enough to lead the Wizards to a tight 83-80 win. Although these two only play each other twice a year, wouldn't it be fun if the two began a rivalry that would hearken back to the 90s when the center was king? Yes, it definitely would.

Play of the Night

That move's just too good from John Wall. I'm afraid Luke Babbitt might need anti-nausea medicine after being spun around like that.

Wizards 83, Pelicans 80 (Bullets Forever recap | The Bird Writes recap)

Clippers 112, Jazz 96 (Clips Nation recap | SLC Dunk recap)

Rockets 117, Bucks 103 (The Dream Shake recap | Brew Hoop recap)