Wizards Snap Losing Streak with Win Over Hornets

Kyle Kuzma had a team-high 33 points, and the Washington Wizards were red hot from beyond the arc connecting on 18 3-pointers to beat the Charlotte Hornets 132-116 on Wednesday night and snap a four-game losing skid.

Danilo Gallinari and Delon Wright each put up 18 points and Landry Shamet had 15 as the Wizards bench demolished the Hornets reserves 72-23.

“The bench was unbelievable,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “They have shown spurts for us in this young season. It’s comforting to know that you have guys who can come in and impact the game offensively and defensively and stem the tide and hold off runs.”

Kuzma, who came into the game averaging a team-high 23.7 points, has had four 3s in each of his last three games and has embraced the role of team leader even with the addition of free agent Jordan Poole.

He is shooting a spectacular 45% from beyond the arc in November.

“I have to give some credit to the bench, they played phenomenal tonight,” Kuzma said. “… Those guys were huge for us, and they propelled us to a win.”

LaMelo Ball, coming off a 30-point triple-double in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, had a season-high 34 points for the Hornets. Gordon Hayward added 18 points for Charlotte. Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick this year, had 13 points in his first home start.

Both teams are 2-5.

The Hornets led by five, 29-24, at the end of one, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. The Wizards opened the second quarter with a decisive 34-9 run and took a 65-46 lead at halftime behind 20 points from Kuzma.

“That second quarter defense was big for us,” Unseld said.

The Wizards entered the game having given up 130.7 points per game during their four-game losing streak, including 146 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

So, this was a sight for sore eyes and a welcomed improvement.
The Hornets would scratch and claw to cut the lead to eight in the third quarter behind Hayward, who took over with aggressive drives and jumpers. But Charlotte could not sustain the momentum, and the Wizards quickly pushed the lead back to 22 behind perimeter shots from Gallinari and Corey Kispert and a driving two-handed dunk by Shamet over Ball.

The Hornets remain undermanned with Terry Rozier and Cody Martin out with injuries and Miles Bridges still serving a 10-game suspension, so they are trying to weather the storm until they get all of their horses back.

Hornets coach Steve Clifford said the biggest problem for his team has been on the defensive end, particularly when opponents go five out.

“It’s been a problem for us,” Clifford said. “We have different things we’ve been doing and at times it’s worked, but tonight obviously it didn’t.”

Even with the slow start out of the gate, Clifford is excited that Ball seems to be rounding into form.

“You can tell he’s rhythm and his pick and roll game is really improving,” Clifford said. “And he’s playing good defense. He is working hard on the defensive end.”

The teams will meet again Friday night in Washington in an NBA In-Season Tournament game.