Hornets mathematically eliminated from playoff contention

Friday marked the last gasp in what has been a bitter season for the Charlotte Hornets.

With a loss to the Atlanta Hawks, combined with a win by the Boston Celtics, the Hornets were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

It was a season of great disappointment for the Hornets. After a strong 43-39 showing last season, the Hornets were pegged by many to make a jump to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

Instead, Charlotte was riddled with injuries and free-agent additions Marvin Williams and Lance Stephenson failed to live up to expectations. Williams couldn't adequately fill the void left by outgoing free agent Josh McRoberts, while Stephenson was downright awful, earning himself a string of DNP-CDs to end the year.

Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker both missed time due to nagging knee and ankle ailments, while key role players like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller have also been out.

The end result was a floundering offense and a shaky defense, which amounted to a 33-46 mark with just three games remaining.