The Charlotte Hornets (11-8), got a close win on Monday night against the Washington Wizards (11-6), 109-103. LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier both had monster games.
The Hornets started off struggling from the field. Terry Rozier was able to stop the bleeding with three shots from downtown. Both teams shot poorly, but the frenetic pace of the game allowed both teams to put points on the board. At the end of the first quarter, the Hornets trailed by one, 27-26.
The Hornets got off to a much better start in the second quarter due to an unorthodox 4-point play. Gordon Hayward hit a three and Rozier made a technical free throw after Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie’s remarks to the official while Hayward was making the three.
Charlotte’s offense stagnated after that, while both teams continued to miss shots. Ball could not connect on his shots for most of the opening two quarters, but he was all over the defensive backboards. He made a dunk that gave him some confidence. Ball had 15 points in the second quarter, the majority of them happening in the final few minutes. He ignited a Hornets 14-3 run to end the half, giving the Hornets a 59-50 lead.
Rozier continued his hot shooting in the third quarter, which enabled the Hornets to extend their lead to 17 points. A 6-0 run by the Wizards sliced into the lead. The Hornets could not build on their lead, missing six-straight free throws. The rest of the offense went just as cold, only scoring six points in the final five and a half minutes of the quarter. The Hornets were still able to play lockdown defense, which kept the Wizards at bay and took an 83-73 lead into the final quarter.
Rozier was the catalyst in getting the offense going early in the fourth quarter. He hit a spectacular step back jump shot and then, a few possessions later, hit a shot from behind the arc.
The Wizards went on an 8-0 run in the time span of a minute, forcing Hornets coach James Borrego to call a time out. The Wizards made the contest close, getting within four points on several occasions, but the Hornets had an answer every time.
Miles Bridges threw a potential game clenching alley opp from Ball off the back rim. Wizards Montrezl Harrell grabbed the rebound but Ball knocked the ball away to recapture possession for the Hornets. Rozier dribbled out the shot clock and then hit a crucial three to put the nail in the coffin with 13 seconds left.
“I just need to have more days like that,” Rozier said after his best offensive performance of the season.
“He’s huge for us,” Hornets coach James Borrego said about Rozier’s impact. “He’s in a lot of ways the heartbeat of this team. He hit big shots early and obviously he hit big shots late.”
Terry Rozier had a season-high 32 points, hitting 8-11 threes and was 11-19 from the field overall. He also contributed 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals for the Hornets. LaMelo Ball scored 28 points, had 13 rebounds and 7 assists. Gordon Hayward had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Seven different players had at least one steal.
Montrezl Harrell scored 24 points and had a season-high 18 boards for the Wizards. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 17 points, 7 rebounds and nine assists. Kyle Kuzma had 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Wizards travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Wednesday. The Hornets go on the road to take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday also.
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