JAMES BORREGO

Steve Clifford is heading back to Charlotte.

Kenny Atkinson has decided not to become the coach of the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to terms on a contract with Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson to be their next head coach, says a person familiar with the situation.

The Charlotte Hornets have begun their search for a head coach, asking permission to speak with several candidates, said a person familiar with the situation.

The Charlotte Hornets have fired coach James Borrego after blowout losses in back-to-back years in the play-in tournament.

Trae Young bounced back from a sluggish start to score 24 points and De’Andre Hunter led a third-quarter surge that carried the Atlanta Hawks to a 132-103 play-in rout of the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets were delayed getting to the arena for their NBA play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks.

LaMelo Ball had 33 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets spoiled Kyrie Irving’s first home game of the season by beating the Brooklyn Nets 119-110.

Terry Rozier scored 31 points and the Charlotte Hornets beat San Antonio 123-117 on Saturday night, leaving Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a victory short of tying the NBA record. San Antonio has lost four straight since beating Washington on Feb. 25 to move Popovich within one of Don Nelson’s record of 1,335 regular-season victories. LaMelo Ball added 24 points for Charlotte, P.J. Washington and Montrezl Harrell each had 15 and Mason Plumlee had 13 rebounds.

The NBA All-Star Game seems to be tailor-made for Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball.

The Charlotte Hornets broke the franchise’s single-game scoring record on Wednesday night and notched the highest point total in the NBA this season in their 158-126 rout of the Indiana Pacers.

Devin Booker had 16 points in his return to Phoenix’s lineup and the NBA-leading Suns set a season-scoring high in a 137-106 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.

Miles Bridges had 32 points and nine rebounds, Ish Smith added 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and the Charlotte Hornets improved to 3-0 for the first time by beating the Brooklyn Nets 111-95.

The Hornets’ coach was asked Monday about LiAngelo Ball’s absence from the training camp roster.

A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a multiyear contract extension with coach James Borrego.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball’s versatility as a passer, scorer and rebounder earned him NBA Rookie of the Year honors despite missing 21 games with a fractured wrist.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in San Francisco, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO – Do-everything Draymond Green vowed to make up for losing his cool and costing Golden State a win at Charlotte last weekend. Terry Rozier made an off-balance jumper from the left corner as time expired for a 102-100 win by the Hornets. The Warriors have won three straight after having consecutive victories seven different times previously without winning a third in a row. It's the first matchup between the opponents this season and Charlotte has won three straight over the Kings.

“He crossed the line, that's the main thing,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said about Green, who has a history of in-game outbursts. Green did not participate in the Warriors' videoconference call after the game. Kerr said Green was apologetic after the game, but he will speak to him in private more about the incident. Washington finished with 15 points to help the Hornets overcame a season-high 25 turnovers to beat the Warriors without Stephen Curry. For the Warriors, it was their second tough loss in two nights after falling the Orlando Magic 124-120.

Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, left, looks to pass against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. Hayward took the road less traveled this offseason when he opted out of his contract with the high-profile Celtics and chose to come to Charlotte to take on a more prominent role and the opportunity to help build a young Hornets team into a playoff contender. When the Hornets need a basket in the fourth quarter, they often defer to Hayward. “It seems like yesterday that I was these guys — I was the young guy,” Hayward said with a laugh. Hayward said his sole focus is on helping the Hornets end a four-year playoff drought.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) fouls Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – LaMelo Ball isn't wasting any time making an impact in the NBA. “I live my life and I know what I’m capable of, so stuff like doesn’t move me like that," Ball said. “I know that's supposed to happen.”Ball replaced Markelle Fultz as the youngest NBA player to record a triple-double by 177 days. He became only the fifth rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double and the first Hornets player to do it coming off the bench.

The teams that didn't qualify for the restart of the NBA season at Walt Disney World could begin voluntary workouts Wednesday, Sept. 23, to start preparing for their next game whenever that is. Karl Anthony-Towns got to work in Minnesota and his old coach started to mold his new team in New York. After six months without one, it felt so good for some NBA teams to practice again that even Allen Iverson might've enjoyed it. “It gives us some sense of continuity, some sense of togetherness,” said Love, who didn’t want to miss the voluntary workouts. Coaches who didn't know what to expect were pleasantly surprised by the level of play they saw.