LaMelo Ball put on an absolute show scoring a team-high 32 points as the struggling Charlotte Hornets erased an early deficit to take down the Phoenix Suns, 115-104.
There was a lid on the basket for the Hornets and it took them nearly two minutes and seven shot attempts to break through and score their first points of the night, and they came on a 32-foot desperation heave by second-year forward Brandon Miller at the shot clock buzzer that banked in off the backboard. It took almost another three minutes before Miles Bridges tossed in bucket number two. The trio Ball, Miller, and Mark Williams almost pulled off a miraculous highlight.
Meanwhile, Devin Booker was the ring leader and controlled the Suns offense and led them to a seven-point lead after one.
The second quarter was one of if not the best quarter the Hornets have played all season long. It took a little time to get going; both teams played an erotic but even first few minutes of the frame. The Hornets took their first lead of the contest with Ball’s first points on a shot from downtown over Jusuf Nurkic, who is now coming off the bench for the Suns. It never felt like there was a memorable offensive explosion until the closing moments of the game, but the Hornets kept their foot on the gas pedal, stacking buckets together, while applying suffocating defense and holding the Suns to a frigid 25% shooting from the field and a goose egg from three in the quarter. They finished with a flurry thanks to some Ball free throws, a Bridges three, and an alley oop from Ball to Miller. LaMelo’s half court heave at the buzzer drew back iron.
The Suns came out in the third quarter ready to go and scored seven straight points prior to a Bridges dunk plus a foul got the Hornets on the board. Booker continued his, and Ball responded with a takeover of his own that included a pair of ridiculous threes. It resembles Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkens back in the 80’s. When the dust settled, the Hornets clung to a five-point lead, 88-83.
They scored the first five points of the fourth off Bridges assists in transition. One of those went to Nick Smith Jr., who returned the favor accordingly with a half court alley oop to Bridges a few possessions later. The Hornets kept enough separation between themselves and the Suns long enough to give LaMelo a rest before returning to dazzle with nine straight points. The offense went cold and the Suns threatened to make a late surge, but Miller turned around what had been a rough fourth quarter to hit a dagger three.
LaMelo was a man on a mission, putting up all 32 of his points in the last 30 minutes or so of the game. He went bucket for bucket with the Suns superstars and carried the Hornets offense in the second half of the game. He is making a compelling argument to start the All-Star Game, and Tuesday night was a good resume booster. The only thing that could possibly get in his way is the poor record.
Embed from Getty ImagesBridges, who struggled mightily against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, redeemed himself and did a really good job of knowing when to be aggressive. He knocked down a couple of 3-point shots, but more importantly he got down in the paint and provided a good counter for LaMelo and Miller’s perimeter games. He also had a much better night getting his teammates involved than his three assists would indicate.
Richards was a spark off the bench, particularly in the first half. He outplayed and out-hustled Nurkic on both ends of the court. He collected a double-double, 15 points and 12 rebounds off the bench with five offensive boards and three blocks.
Miller did not bring his ‘A game’ to the party. He had a couple of rushed turnovers early in the fourth, but that is a part of being young in the league and failed to make a shot until the decisive blow. It was not the end-all-be-all, but certainly not his finest hour.
The Hornets will return to the court on Thursday night (January 9th) for a matchup against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Sun host Trae Young the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
