The Charlotte Hornets’ short-lived moment in the sun in an otherwise forgettable season up to this point, came to a halt on Wednesday night, as their modest three-game winning streak was snapped by the explosive Memphis Grizzlies in a 132-120 defeat. The winning streak had represented a little bit of hope and the team’s high-water mark of the year thus far.
The Hornets went through a rough first half, with LaMelo Ball being a one man show, the only player in double figures at the break with 10 points. Charlotte’s struggles were magnified even more by 14 crimpling turnovers, which Memphis efficiently converted into 21 points.
On the other hand, the Grizzlies did just the opposite, showcasing a dominant offensive performance, led by sniper Luke Kennard’s lights-out perimeter shooting, 6-8 from beyond the arc, 18 points and aided by strong contributions from Jaren Jackson Jr., 15 points and Desmond Bane, 12. After jumping out to an early 13-point lead, 38-25, in the opening quarter, Memphis kept their foot on the pedal and continued to extend their lead, eventually stretching the margin to 30 points and leading 78-48 by halftime.
Despite trailing by a seemingly insurmountable 35 points, the Hornets refused to just roll over and die and did all they could to mount a second-half rally before ultimately falling short at the hands of the Grizzlies 132-120. The Hornets won the third quarter 36-28, engineered by center Mark Williams’ 14 points and punctuated by an impressive 12-0 surge.
The swell of the momentum carried over into the fourth quarter as Charlotte outscored Memphis 72-54 overall in the second half, trimming the deficit to just 12 points in the final seconds. The Hornets’ improved inside presence was noticeable in the final statistics, as they edged the Grizzlies in both paint scoring (52-50) and fast break points (17-16). Williams added another 13 points in the final frame while Ball would score 10 of his 22 points in the final quarter.
However, the extreme first-half deficit proved too much for the Hornets to overcome, even with their hard-fought second-half performance.
Despite the loss, center Williams showed up and showed out, delivering a breakthrough performance, setting a career-high with 38 points on an efficient 14-of-18 from the field. The raw but talented big man, who has all the potential in the world, put on display his emerging all-around game, adding 9 rebounds and 5 assists continuing to make strides each and every game.
LaMelo Ball added 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Miles Bridges scored 17 points as the Hornets’ three-game winning streak came to an end.
Charlotte begins a nine-game homestand on Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. Memphis continues its four-game homestand that night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
