Hornets Drop Two Close Home Games, Beat the Wizards Away, and Stay Above the Play-In Line
Losses to Houston and Cleveland didn't dim Charlotte's playoff chances as Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel both set franchise records; then, LaMelo Ball brought out the fireworks to beat Washington.
Two future NBA Hall of Famers - Kevin Durant and James Harden - came to the Hive with their post-trade deadline teams this past weekend, and while Durant had the better performance, both stars helped propel their teams past the Hornets. Durant scored 35 points for the Houston Rockets in their 105-101 victory over Charlotte, while Donovan Mitchell and his 32 points led Cleveland in their 118-113 victory at the Spectrum Center.
The losses - to teams that are both 4th in their Conference - come after both the All-Star Break, and an incredible run of form for the Bugs. [Editor’s Note: You can read more about the streak and the turnaround in Adrian Singerman’s mid-season review for Y’all Weekly.]
While it’s disappointing for Charlotte to drop two in a row at home, they remain above the play-in line at 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Plus, neither the Rockets nor the Cavs were ever going to be a walk in the park, though the Hornets may want to watch some tape after losing the season series to Cleveland 3-1 as the team is a possible playoff opponent — if Charlotte can stay in form and survive the play-in tournament.
“Honestly, I feel like we’re playing pretty decently,” the Hornets’ Kon Knueppel told reporters after the loss to Cleveland. “[Friday] I didn’t think we played our best game just in regard to taking care of the ball and just offensively, it was a little sticky, like how I mentioned this first quarter was. In all honesty, I think the way we’re competing on the defensive end and on the glass is really keeping us in these games. So, from a competitive standpoint, I think we’re really bringing it. Just two tough, close losses to two really good teams coming out of the All-Star break.”
The Hornets didn’t have to wait long to return to form as they soundly defeated the 13th-place Wizards 129-112 yesterday in Washington, D.C. LaMelo Ball took the attention off of his driving and put it back on his game as he made 10 shots from downtown — a personal career high — tying the Hornets' single-game three-pointer record.
With 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists — all before the 4th Quarter — Ball demonstrated why he can’t be left out of the superstar conversation.
Sharp Shooting Durant Propels Rockets to Win
To borrow a turn of phrase from The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, “He’s Kevin Durant, dude.”
Now playing in the sixth different market of his career, the 37-year-old Durant doesn’t seem to have lost a step. In addition to 8 rebounds and 35 total points on the night, Durant shot 4 for 4 in the 4th quarter to fend off a Hornets squad that would not go quietly.
On the Hornets’ side, starters Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges continued their suspensions after the “Havoc at the Hive” fight during the Hornets’ streak-ending loss to Detroit. However, all of the Hornets starters contributed 10 or more points, and Grant Williams (20 points, 9 rebounds), Brandon Miller (17 points, 7 assists), and LaMelo Ball (7 rebounds, 7 assists) made significant contributions in multiple metrics.
The Bugs got off to a good start early on, with a solid 9 point lead after the 1st quarter. However, rookie sensation Kon Knueppel had what — for him, at least — constitutes a slow night, with 15 points overall, shooting 5 of 8 in the first three quarters. Some of that was made up for by strong performances off the bench from Tidjane Salaün (9 points, 4 rebounds) and Sion James (8 points, 4 rebounds).
The game was the kind of exciting matchup fans hope for, and it was a good showcase as former Hornets — from Jeremy Lamb to Kemba Waker — were in attendance to celebrate 20 years of the Spectrum Center.
After the Rockets caught up to make it 53-52 at the half, the game remained tight through the closing seconds, including a phrenetic 4th quarter that saw the Hornets keep hope alive despite shooting only 2 of 13 from behind the arc.
Durant’s lights-out shooting — and the Hornets’ cold hands — prevented a Charlotte comeback. While the Buzz pushed all the way down to the wire, it was Houston on top 105-101.
Keys to the Game
The game was close into the 4th quarter, but Charlotte couldn’t get the threes to fall, while Houston made the shots they needed to make. Kon and others were cold from beyond the arc in the final 12 minutes, and that, as they say, was the ballgame.
Buzz Bright Spots
Brandon Miller (left) and Grant Williams combined for 37 points, 13 boards, and 8 assists against Houston, making up for an off-night from Ball (11 points) and Knueppel (15 points). Strong performances off the bench from Tidjane Salaün (9 points, 4 rebounds) and Sion James (8 points, 4 rebounds) also demonstrated the depth of the squad while two starters remained suspended.
Buzzworthy Facts
Brandon Miller continued his made free throw streak, beating the franchise record set by Kemba Walker (53) by one basket before ending his run at 54 during the same pair of of shots from the line. Miller wasn’t discouraged by the miss, and went on to make the rest of his shots from the charity stripe for a total of 6-7 on the night.
Consistent Cavs Hold off Hornets
The Cleveland Cavaliers won their seventh straight game Friday night as they defeated the hometown Hornets 118-113 at Spectrum Arena. Winners of nine out of their last ten games, the Cavs achieved the famed 50-40-90 shooting line as a whole team, including a sizzling 48% from three-point territory and 93% from the free throw line, making 26 out of their 28 attempts. Donovon Mitchell scored a team-high 32 points, and Jarrett Allen dominated the paint with 26 points and 14 rebounds, 7 of which came on the offensive end.
Newly acquired James Harden, in just his fourth appearance with the Cavs, also turned in a solid performance with 18 points and 8 assists. Kon Knueppel led the way for the Hornets with a game-high 33 points, including seven three-pointers.
Both teams started out hot, trading baskets for the first several minutes, with Allen putting in eight points in the first three minutes of the game for Cleveland. The Hornets held a slim lead at 17-14 midway through the opening frame, but the Cavs pulled ahead when Knueppel exited the game after picking up his second foul with 5:13 seconds left, going on a 16-3 run to close out the quarter and take a 30-20 lead into the second on the strength of Allen’s 11 points and the team’s eleven made free throws out of twelve attempts.
Charlotte closed the gap to start the 2nd quarter, as a close-range basket in the paint from Ryan Kalkbrenner got the Hornets within six at 39-33 with just over eight minutes left, but Cleveland quickly opened up a fourteen point lead with an 8-0 run over the next minute and a half. The Hornets responded with three quick three-point baskets to get back within seven at 51-44, and the half ended with Cleveland maintaining a six-point edge, 59-53, a margin that would have been considerably wider had it not been for Knueppel’s 18 first-half points.
Charlotte was on fire to start the 3rd quarter, hitting three quick three-pointers and scoring thirteen points in the first two and a half minutes to take their first lead since the 1st quarter at 64-62. From there, it was nip and tuck for the rest of the quarter, which ended with Cleveland holding a slim 90-89 edge.
Neither team was able to create any separation for the first half of the final frame, as the Hornets were still within a point down 102-101 at the 5:48 mark, but the Cavs scored seven consecutive points over the next two minutes to take a 109-101 lead with just over three and a half minutes remaining as the Hornets missed several open looks from deep. A couple of late threes by Charlotte made the score look more respectable, but the Hornets never truly threatened to get back in the game after Cleveland’s decisive run.
Keys to the Game
The combination of Cleveland’s outside shooting, interior scoring, and near perfect accuracy from the free throw line was simply too much to overcome for the Hornets. Charlotte showed some serious fight to keep the game as close as they did.
Although they only shot 39% overall for the game, Charlotte made a whopping twenty baskets from deep and went 21/22 on free throws, hanging tough in a game that easily could have gotten away from them when they were down by fourteen midway through the 2nd quarter.
Buzz Bright Spots
It bears repeating that it was a valiant effort on the part of the Hornets to make this game as competitive as it was. Playing for the third straight game without suspended starters Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, and facing a team with considerably more star-power, things could easily have gotten away from Charlotte. While moral victories won’t cut it for a team with postseason aspirations, the Hornets’ performance bodes well for their playoff chances as they enter the final third of the regular season.
Buzzworthy Facts
Kon Knueppel moved into second place all time on the list of three-pointers made by an NBA rookie, passing Donovan Mitchell (187 threes in 2017-18) in the process. At 193 made threes for the season, Knueppel has nine more than Brandon Miller’s 184 in his rookie season two years ago. With 25 games remaining in the regular season, Knueppel is on pace to obliterate the current record of 203 made threes by Keegan Murray, who achieved the feat during the 2022-23 season with Sacramento.
Ball Ties Franchise Record in Triumphant Victory over Washington
LaMelo did the best thing he possibly could after another embarrassing motor vehicle accident last week: he balled.
While his 11 points against the Rockets were underwhelming, he improved to 18 points against Cleveland (including going 8-8 from the stripe) before lighting up Chinatown with 37 points.
Charlotte was electric in the 3rd quarter, making all but one three-pointer while outpacing the Wizards by 16 points, 44-28. In terms of percentage, Brandon Miller had another strong game during the suspension of Bridges and Diabate, making 71% of his shots from beyond the arc.
With Ball’s exceptional performance and the Hornets’ sharp shooting, Charlotte easily won 129-112, continuing their strong performance on the road. With the win, the Hornets improved to a seven-game winning streak on the road, currently the longest active away win streak in the NBA. With a win against Chicago tomorrow, the Bugs have the opportunity to secure the longest road winning streak in the franchise’s history.
Keys to the Game
LaMelo Ball’s shot chart:
That’s over three quarters. ‘Nuff said.
Buzz Bright Spots
Not to be outdone, Knueppel had 28 points, and guard Josh Green had 12 points off the bench. Charlotte was 11 of 12 from downtown in the third quarter — that’s 33 points from beyond the arc in just 12 minutes.
Buzzworthy Facts
Ball’s new three-pointer record — 10 in one game — is also held at the franchise level by Devonte’ Graham, Kelly Oubre Jr., Terry Rozier, and Kemba Walker. Their away win streak (7) ties the previous franchise record.
What’s Next
Charlotte will stay on the road for their next two games. They will finish their short road trip with a quick midwestern jaunt, playing against Chicago tomorrow, and Indiana on Thursday. Their next home game will be Saturday, February 28th against the Portland Trailblazers.
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