The Charlotte Hornets lost their second straight game on Tuesday at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, 125-113.
The Hornets started slowly on the defensive end, providing little resistance against a very shorthanded Raptors team. They were missing Fred VanVleet (sore knee) and Scottie Barnes (wrist injury). The Hornets were shorthanded as well, with Gordon Hayward (sore right foot), and Jalen McDaniels (sprained right ankle). With no fans in the arena, there was a lack of energy that we usually see and experience at NBA games.
Pascal Siakam played the point guard position, taking the place of VanVleet. He wasted no time showing off his defensive prowess, registering four assists in each of the first two quarters. The Raptors took just over six minutes to score 18 points, which forced Hornets coach James Borrego to call a time out.
The Raptors only picked up the pace from that point. They made five of their first six shots from downtown and finished with 39 first quarter points. The Hornets three-point shooting woes continued, only connecting on one of their first nine outside shots.
Charlotte lost PJ Washington, with 1:46 left in the first quarter, as a result of a dustup under the Hornets basket with Justin Champagnie, who was also ejected. At the end of the first quarter, the Hornets trailed 39-27. Toronto was on fire from the field, shooting 16 for 26, including seven for 11 from three-point range.
James Bouknight brought energy and life off the bench in the second quarter for the Hornets, scoring 13 points. Bridges also had 13 points in the quarter, but it did not translate on defense. It was not just the Raptors knocking down shots, but they were also getting wide opened looks. They connected on 13 of 21 attempts. The Raptors led by 15 going into the locker room, 76-61, their highest-scoring half of the season.
The Hornets made a push to start the third quarter, going on a 14-2 run, cutting the deficit to 78-75, with 7:29 left. The teams exchanged baskets for a few minutes before the Hornets went ice cold from the field. Gary Trent Jr. scored 14 points, as the Raptors pulled away again. Miles Bridges deposited a dunk at the 4:52 mark, but the Hornets did not make another field goal until LaMelo Ball hit a buzzer beater at the end of the third. The Raptors went on a 17-3 run during the cold spell, to essentially put the game away. At the end of the third, the Raptors had a commanding lead, 105-86.
Both teams traded baskets for the majority of the fourth quarter, as the Hornets failed to make the necessary comeback to make the contest interesting. They played well defensively, holding the Raptors to just 20 points in the final frame. The Raptors went on to win, 125-113.
“Not enough defense in this game, period,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “First quarter, got off to a poor start defensively, and it carried through.”
Trent led the Raptors with a season-best 32 points, two rebounds and two assists. Siakam had 24 points and matched his career high with 12 dimes and nine rebounds. OG Anunoby scored 24 point, had one rebound and two assists. Chris Boucher had 12, Malachi Flynn 11 and Dalano Banton 10.
Ball had a team high 25 points, with three boards and seven assists for the Hornets. Bridges scored 22 points, with four rebounds and three assists. Bouknight had 18 points, two boards and one helper. Mason Plumlee and Terry Rozier had 12 point each.
The Raptors travel to Chicago to take on Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. The Hornets will try to bounce back in Indiana, playing the Pacers on Wednesday.
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