Hornets stung: New Orleans forgets to score in loss to 76ers

• New Orleans Hornets lost 77-62 Wednesday to Philadelphia 76ers
• Hornets' 62 points fewest in franchise history
• Hornets were without Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers

The New Orleans Hornets' franchise player is concussed. Their best scorer is headed halfway across the country for knee rehab. Their top-10 rookie has a sprained finger. Their coach was fined for running his mouth.

Perfect time for national TV cameras to roll into the Big Easy.

The Hornets set a franchise record for scoring ineptitude in a 77-62 loss Wednesday to the Philadelphia 76ers. They shot 33.3% from the field. Their leading scorer was Al-Farouq Aminu, who totaled 10 points. They had more turnovers than two-pointers.

"It's a long season. Long season," backup forward Jason Smith said. "Flush this one down the toilet."

Smith provided one of the few box-score highlights for the Hornets, blocking five shots. They defended well, though that came against a Sixers team that hasn't found any offensive rhythm with new star center Andrew Bynum sitting with a bum knee.

A quick run-down of the 2-2 Hornets' misery:

• Anthony Davis, the first pick in the 2012 draft, has missed two games with a concussion. He was injured in Friday's surprise win against the Chicago Bulls.

• Davis' injury led coach Monty Williams to question the NBA's concussion policy. "It's just that now you treat everybody like they have on white gloves and pink drawers," Williams said. That comment earned him a $25,000 fine from the NBA, and he half-heartedly apologized before Wednesday's game.

• Eric Gordon, who reportedly was not happy after being traded for Chris Paul by the Los Angeles Clippers, is headed back to Southern California "for a more personalized and intensive rehab regimen," according to a news release, on a knee injury that will keep him out four to six weeks but somehow doesn't require surgery. The shooting guard has played nine games in two seasons for the Hornets while Paul is leading a Clippers resurgence.

• Austin Rivers, drafted 10th overall this June, has a sprained left index finger. He was replacing Gordon in the starting lineup, so third-string rookie Darius Miller has been forced into starting duties.

The Hornets have a lot of talent. They have a lot of reason for optimism, too, with New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson buying the team from the NBA earlier this year. But Wednesday's loss showed how crazy things have been to start this season.

That's why Williams is showing patience.

"It's hard to be upset with our guys," he said. "Sometimes you're disappointed, but with this group I can always find something positive to talk about."

That probably won't come from the box score.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.