Charlotte, led by White, got the critical win in today's matchup against New Orleans. After the game, the Charlotte star was surrounded by would-be interviewers, a not uncommon sight recently as he has moved into a leading role on his team. After taking a few questions, he met his long-time friend, New Orleans's Fletcher, who had played his heart out during the game only to come up short. "It's always tough when we play, he said. I always like to see him do well, and vice versa. But we can't both come out winners as long as we're on different teams." Rumors continue to circulate about the two friends trying to find their way onto the same team.

Charlotte was led by White (27 points, a block), Plungis (24 points, 5 boards, 0 assists, a steal, 2 blocks), Torres (15 points, 10 boards, 1 assists, a block). New Orleans was led by Fletcher (42 points, 13 boards, 0 assists, a block), Howie (15 points, a steal, a block), Cummings (13 points, 0 assists, 2 blocks).

Charlotte extended their winning streak 5 games and improve to 19-8 and 9-4 at home. They remain at #1 in the Southeast and stay at #2 overall in the Eastern Conference. New Orleans fall to 16-12. They hold at #3 in the Southwest and drop to #6 overall in the Western Conference.

box score Charlotte roster New Orleans roster