The wounds were still too fresh and stung like an old sticky band-aid being peeled off excruciatingly slow.
Getting exposed in a variety of ways by their Southeast Division foes -- which subsequently turned State Farm Arena into a club-like atmosphere fit for the likes of Jay Z, Quavo and Nelly all sitting courtside -- had the Charlotte Hornets bothered. They were frustrated. Disappointed.
“All that,” LaMelo Ball said. “We just lost a basketball game. A big one at that. So everybody is just dealing with a lot of stuff right now, and it’s go home, regroup and see what it is.