Raptors’ Buzzer-Beater Sinks Hornets
Raptors take low-scoring affair 97-96 with game-winning three-pointer, as the Hornets fall to 13-24 on the season.
Buzzer Beater Breaks Hearts
The Toronto Raptors (23-15, 4th Place in the Eastern Conference) stunned the Charlotte Hornets (13-24, 12th Place in the East) at the buzzer Wednesday evening at the Spectrum Center, as guard Immanuel Quickley drained a three pointer moments after LaMelo Ball’s driving layup had given Charlotte a 96-94 lead with 1.6 seconds left.
Quickley’s game-winner capped a 21-point outing and silenced the home crowd that had been buzzing after Ball’s go-ahead basket. With the 97-96 victory, the Raptors denied the Hornets their first three-game win streak of the season. Charlotte was also going for their second straight victory against a quality opponent following their 124-97 demolition of the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. R.J. Barrett scored 16 points in the 4th quarter on his way to team-leading 28 points for Toronto. Backup guard Colin Sexton led the way for Charlotte with 22 points as stars LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel struggled mightily shooting the ball.
The Hornets started the game off hot, hitting three quick three-pointers to take an 11-2 advantage and forcing an early timeout by Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic barely two minutes into the game. The hot-shooting start was short-lived; Charlotte went ice cold over the next seven minutes and scored only five points in that span, staying in the game thanks to some spotty long-range shooting from the Raptors. With both teams missing the mark on offense, the low-scoring quarter ended with the Raptors holding a slim three-point edge, 25-22.
Charlotte rediscovered their shooting touch in the second quarter, asserting control to take a 41-30 lead midway through the period as the Raptors continued to sputter offensively. Some sloppy play by the Hornets and a quick 5-point scoring spurt from Quickley to finish the half allowed the Raptors to close the gap, as the teams headed to the locker room with the hometown Hornets maintaining a 50-45 edge.
After seven quick points from Ball to start the third quarter, and with Toronto still unable to find their rhythm on offense, the Raptors found themselves down 64-51 before they managed to right the ship, taking advantage of several Charlotte miscues on the offensive end to cut the deficit to one with 1:49 left in the quarter, prompting a Hornets timeout. Charlotte managed to push their lead back to six points by the end of the quarter, taking a 72-66 advantage into the final frame.
After the Hornets quickly extended their lead to 78-68 to start the fourth quarter, the Raptors responded with a 14-3 run to take a one-point lead. The teams then traded baskets over the next few minutes, setting up the dramatic finish.
Keys to the Game
Toronto’s duo of Barrett and Quickly provided the scoring punch the Raptors sorely needed to hang in the game and eventually get the win. Barrett’s 16 fourth-quarter points proved to be pivotal to the outcome.
Scottie Barnes carried the scoring load for the Raptors in the first half, scoring 15 of his 17 points.
Rookie Collin Murray-Bowles, a lottery pick out of the University of South Carolina, controlled the glass for Toronto as he racked up fifteen rebounds, including six on the offensive end.
The absence of Brandon Miller clearly hurt the Hornets’ offense. Aside from their hot start and a couple other brief scoring spurts, the Hornets shot the ball poorly all evening, finishing 39% from the field. Turnovers were also a big problem for Charlotte, as they finished with 18 turnovers to Toronto’s five.
Buzz Bright Spots
Sexton matched his season high with 22 points, scoring on an impressive array of drives and long-range shots.
Moussa Diabate continued his solid play at center, starting in place of the injured Ryan Kalkbrenner for the seventh time in the last eight games. He tallied 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks to go along with six points and his customary active defense.
Buzz-Worthy Facts
Coming out of a timeout with four and a half minutes left in the third quarter and Toronto down by nine points, the Raptors put out a lineup composed entirely of players who had gone scoreless up to that point. The lineup proved to be effective, as Toronto proceeded to go on an 11-3 run, resulting in a Hornets timeout.
What’s Next
Charlotte is back in action as we speak against the last-place Indiana Pacers, their last home game before the longest road trip of the season, a five-game stretch that kicks off with a Saturday evening matchup against the Utah Jazz.
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