The Charlotte Hornets (13-8) snapped the Minnesota Timberwolves’ (9-10) five-game winning streak with a decisive 133-115 win on Friday night. The Hornets tied a franchise record with 23 made 3-pointers. Kelly Oubre Jr. tied his career high with seven of those 3-pointers. Oubre said the key for the Hornets during their current streak is the team’s eagerness to get better.
“It’s the willingness to grow and learn,” Oubre said. “We’re a young team, but we show up each and every day. We show up ready to work and ready to get better and grow closer as a unit.”
Both teams played an evenly matched opening quarter. The Hornets had great ball movement and got themselves off to a good start. LaMelo Ball did not score, but he did get his teammates involved, with 6 assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. connected on a shot from the great beyond in the closing seconds of the quarter, putting the Hornets up by two, 30-28.
Oubre and Jalen McDaniels got hot in the second quarter, as the Hornets created some space between themselves and the Timberwolves. They both made three 3-pointers in the first twenty minutes of the game as the Hornets went up by double digits.
Minnesota went on a mini 6-0 run, but the Hornets quickly regained the momentum. The Wolves once again were within eight and had a fast break opportunity to cut it to six, but Gordon Hayward and Ball had other ideas and quickly turned the tide back in Charlotte’s favor. The Hornets led by ten at halftime, 68-58. They had 18 assists and hit eleven 3-pointers at that juncture of the game.
The Hornets got off to a slow start in the third quarter, but Terry Rozier spotted Hayward for an alley-opp dunk to energize the crowd and the team. In the next possession, Hayward returned the favor by finding Rozier for a wide-open 3-point shot.
Miles Bridges started to establish himself in the third quarter to counter a run made by Karl-Anthony Towns on the other end. Oubre reentered the game around the four minute mark of the third and the Wolves did not make adjustments to stop him. He hit three shots from beyond the arc within two minutes of checking in and on two of them, he was all alone.
The Wolves called a timeout to regroup, but it was unsuccessful. Ball scored on an open layup. On Charlotte’s next possession, Oubre knocked down his seventh three of the contest. It gave the Hornets a sixteen point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 99-83.
A quick 8-3 run by the Hornets put them up by three touchdowns (21) and in complete control of the game. Minnesota could never make a run in the fourth and their coach Chris Finch waved the white flag and emptied his bench with about six minutes to play with his team down 20.
P.J. Walker took full advantage of the garbage time minutes and hit four 3-pointers in a six minute span as the Hornets lead increased to 24. Rookies Kai Jones and James Bouknight got their first career NBA points during this time.
The big fourth quarter lead meant that all the Hornet starters got less than 30 minutes of playing time, which means they should be well rested for Saturday’s game.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 points of the bench for the Hornets. Miles Bridges had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Gordon Hayward also contributed 18 points, had 6 boards and 6 assists. LaMelo Ball had a double-double with 10 points and 13 assists. The Hornets have won eight of their last nine games.
Karl-Anthony Towns had a team high 25 points for the Timberwolves. D’Angelo Russell scored 18 points, had 6 rebounds and 15 assists. Malik Beasley contributed 18 points.
The Timberwolves travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers on Saturday night. The Hornets open a four-game road trip at Houston facing the Rockets on Saturday night in the second game of a back-to-back.
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