No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama has dominated the lions’ share of the headlines in the NBA offseason.
But fellow rookie Brandon Miller proved in the season opener that he can hold his own also.
P.J. Washington scored 25 points, Miller provided a huge lift with eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and the Charlotte Hornets held on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 116-110 on Wednesday night.
Miller, the No. 2 overall pick out of the University of Alabama in the draft behind San Antonio’s Wembanyama, was the first man off the bench for the Hornets and knocked down a 3 from the left wing on his first shot attempt, drawing a roar from the home crowd. But the Alabama product got into early foul trouble collecting his third midway through the second quarter and had to sit most of the first half.
He checked back in and started to find his groove in the fourth quarter, converting a step-back 3-pointer from the corner and a reverse layup before burying another shot from downtown to give the Hornets a 101-99 lead they never relinquished over the final 4:19.
“He’s not like most guys his age,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “He gets in foul trouble and some guys wouldn’t be able to come back from that. He had a couple calls that didn’t go his way. But then he made some huge plays in the fourth quarter. If you watch him, he has great self-confidence.”
Miller called his step-back 3 from the corner that beat the shot clock his best play and what got him going.
“It definitely hasn’t settled in yet,” said Miller, who played 24 minutes in his first NBA game. “I think tonight it’s probably going to settle in when I go to sleep. I’m definitely going to feel it tomorrow morning.”
Washington and Terry Rozier knocked down runners to extend the Hornets’ lead to six with about a minute to play.
Embed from Getty ImagesTrae Young closed the gap to three with his first triple of the game, but Rozier responded with ice water in his veins with a short pull-up jumper from the baseline to make it a two-possession game with 22 seconds left to help lock down the victory.
Rozier added 24 points for the Hornets and LaMelo Ball shook off a rough first half and finished with a double-double, scoring 15 points and 10 helpers. Mark Williams contributed with 13 points and 15 boards for Charlotte.
Ball, playing in his first regular-season game since fracturing his ankle eight months ago, struggled mightily throughout the first half, missing all eight of his shot attempts from the field. But his confidence never wavered, and he bounced back with four 3-pointers in the second half, turning the momentum of the game.
Clifford said Ball is still working into supreme basketball shape after just being cleared to play about a month ago.
“He’s just not in rhythm yet,” Clifford said. “It’s nobody’s fault. He was rehabbing all summer. He will get there. But I loved the way he competed. He wanted to win.”
Young had 23 points to lead the Hawks but shot a dismal 1 for 9 from beyond the arc. Jalen Johnson had a career-high 21 points.
The Hawks were ice cold and were just 5 of 29 from 3-point range.
“Sometimes when a team struggles like we struggled from the 3-point line…. it becomes really difficult to defend in transition,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “Layups and threes, I think we have a team that can make both of those, (but) it’s very common when you’re not having a good shooting night to stop defending.”
Hawks: Host Julius Randle and the New York Knicks on Friday night in their home opener.
Hornets: Host Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
