It was yet another night where the Charlotte Hornets found themselves living on the edge. Another game decided in the final seconds. Another narrow margin. Another reminder that for this group, nothing comes easy.

Charlotte matched Toronto’s physicality from the opening tip — the same edge they showed against Oklahoma City — but one glaring imbalance flipped the outcome. Turnovers. Eighteen of them for the Hornets. Just six for the Raptors. In a game that came down to the final possession, that disparity loomed large.

With time melting down, LaMelo Ball, who finished the night with 15 points, dribbled some time down and then drove up the left lane to put in what looked like a game winning layup with 1.6 seconds remaining over a Raptors defender.

However, a buzzer-beating three by Immanuel Quickley stunned Spectrum Center and sealed the loss for the Charlotte Hornets, 97-96. However, the ending only amplified what had been building all night. Extra possessions, second-chance opportunities, and self-inflicted mistakes kept the door open for the Toronto Raptors to steal it.

Despite those issues, the Hornets competed. They defended with urgency, met Toronto’s physicality, and once again put themselves in position to win late. Even on an off shooting night from Kon Knueppel, who finished with just 11 points, Charlotte still executed well enough down the stretch to take the lead in the final seconds.

That’s what made the ending sting. One breakdown. One look. One shot.

It also continued a quiet trend this season: when the Hornets and Raptors meet, the games tend to deliver. Tight finishes. Physical play. Big moments. Low key, it’s turned into one of the more entertaining matchups on Charlotte’s schedule — even if the results haven’t always gone their way.

For the Hornets, the takeaway is frustrating but encouraging. The effort is there. The physicality is consistent. The margins are razor thin. Clean up the turnovers, finish possessions, and these final-seconds losses start turning into wins.

I think the national media is also starting to wake up to the fact that the Charlotte Hornets are better than what their 13-24 record would indicate.

The Hornets host the Indiana Pacers in a back to back tonight at 7pm.