The Charlotte Hornets are increasingly playing like the playoff team many pundits expected, and their 112-97 road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday was another emphatic chapter in that story.

With that win, Charlotte not only pushed its first four-game winning streak in two seasons, but also eclipsed last year’s win total, now sitting at 20 victories with 34 games to go in the regular season.

But the story goes deeper than wins and losses — it’s the quality of those wins. In January alone, the Hornets have dominated on the road in ways few teams in league history have managed:

• by 27 at Oklahoma City

• by 55 at Utah

• by 18 at the Lakers

• by 23 at Denver

• by 27 at Orlando

• by 15 at Memphis

That stretch of six road wins by 15 points or more in a single month ties the 2001-02 Lakers (January) and the 2011-12 Heat (February) for the most such victories in NBA history — and both of those teams went on to win NBA titles.

Those aren’t fluky blowouts; those are statement performances from a team asserting itself as one of the Eastern Conference’s toughest tasks coming into your building.

A major reason for Charlotte’s rise has been the emergence of Moussa Diabate as starting center. In Memphis, he delivered a monster effort with 18 points and a career-high 19 rebounds — his presence on the boards and on defense giving the Hornets a toughness that previously eluded them.

Diabate’s energy was on display early: he knocked down his first three-pointer of the year, then immediately turned that momentum into a steal and a coast-to-coast slam— the kind of high-impact burst that has become a tone-setter for Charlotte’s blooming offense.

It’s not just one or two guys thriving — it’s how this collective unit has found an identity. Brandon Miller continues to score efficiently, LaMelo Ball controls tempo with poise, and Charlotte’s defense has tightened at key moments. Combined with their newly found ability to blow open games, especially on the road, this is a Hornets squad no contender can overlook.

If this stretch is any indication — explosive offense, defensive grit, bench contributions, and historic road dominance — the Hornets aren’t just in the playoff conversation, they’re stamping their ticket with authority. History shows teams that sustain this level of road success rarely fade quietly; they keep winning when it counts.

The Hornets must continue to build on this, though. This is still new to them. They go to Dallas tonight where Kon Knueppel will face his Duke roommate and no. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg.