On Wednesday night, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Houston Rockets for their 12th win of the season. The win had more significance than just keeping the Hornets out of last place and nine games out of a play-in spot. It was also Steve Clifford’s 208th win as head coach of the Hornets, setting a new franchise record that was previously held by Allan Bristow, who coached the first iteration of the Hornets from 1992 to 1996.
There’s something oddly poetic about the timing of the record. It’s been a celebratory occasion on the team’s social media accounts, which is somewhat awkward given the team’s current situation in the standings and the fact that came on the same night that star point guard LaMelo Ball left the game with an injury.