The outcome of this game came down to the simple fact that the Charlotte Hornets just did not have the bodies available to them to keep pace with a healthy and more talented Atlanta Hawks team. Without the dynamic duo of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, not to mention Brandon Miller, who is out for the rest of the season, Tre Mann, Josh Okogie, and others, they just did not have the energy or manpower to go a full four quarters/48 minutes without falling behind and staying there for the rest of the game. The Hawks demolished the injury ravaged, short-handed Hornets 134-102 on Tuesday night to sweep the four-game season series.
Trae Young scored a game-high 31 points with eight assists, and Dyson Daniels filled up the stat sheet, adding 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks. The No. 1 pick out of France in last June’s NBA draft, Zaccharie Risacher drained four 3s in the second half to finish with 21 points for the Hawks, who halted a two-game losing streak.
It is nearly impossible to keep up with an NBA playoff-level team with some of the rotations the Hornets were forced to use. They never looked particularly awful, they just looked totally outmatched. The Hawks, on the other hand, just kept knocking down open shots consistently and slowly building a substantial lead. Perhaps one of the highlights of the night was seeing Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young in the crowd momentarily. The first half was competitive at times, but a dreadful third quarter was all she wrote and did Charlotte in. The Hawks never trailed.
The Hornets have been on the prowl, desperately searching for 10-day players that can contribute to the roster, and they have trotted their fair share on Tuesday. Marcus Garrett was one of the few bright spots. While he was far from perfect, he did score a career-high 12 points. He also added three steals, a block, three rebounds, and three assists for a very well-rounded outing.
DaQuan Jeffries and Seth Curry each had 19 points for Charlotte.
Big man Mark Williams was playing without Bridges and Ball. His other starters were Josh Green, Jeffries, Damion Baugh, and Curry. He should have been the focal point on the majority of the offensive possessions, but the offense seemed content to launch threes and generally ignore the star big man. Three shots attempts through three quarters before sitting out of the fourth is unacceptable to say the least.
There were no shortage or reasons that the Hornets took the L on the chin, but poor shooting was one of them. Overall, they struggled, but they took 30 threes and made 10 of them. Some of the misses were ugly. There is no way any NBA team, let alone one with the lineup and rotation Charlotte had in the contest, can win with only 10 made threes.
Atlanta made 48%, 22 of 45 3-pointers.
The Hornets are back in action at the Spectrum Center on Thursday, March 20 against Karl- Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks.
The Hawks host Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
