The Charlotte Hornets season has hit rock bottom, falling to the Washington Wizards on their home court, 124-114, on Monday.
The loss was the Hornets’ fifth in a row. On the other hand, the Wizards are feeling good about themselves, locking up back-to-back victories for just the second time this season.
Despite being down by a seemingly insurmountable 23 points at halftime, the Hornets rallied in the third quarter, slicing the lead to nine. However, the Wizards quickly reestablished control in the final period, using a 13-5 run in the first four and a half minutes to extend their advantage back to 19 points.
However, there was a bright spot for the Hornets in the loss. The night featured a milestone performance from Miles Bridges, who recorded his first career triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Nick Smith Jr. matched Bridges’ scoring total, equaling his career-high with 24 points while showing off his efficiency from downtown, connecting on 4 of 7 three-point attempts.
Charlotte’s offensive attack was balanced, with all five starters scoring at least ten points.
For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly led all scorers with 26 points on a red hot 56.3% shooting night. Kyle Kuzma contributed 22 points, while Corey Kispert provided a significant jolt of energy off the bench with 25 points.
Although the Hornets won the battle against the Wizards in paint scoring (54-52), Washington dominated in transition, outscoring Charlotte 28-13 in fast break points. The Wizards also controlled the glass, winning the rebounding battle 54-46.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Hornets made some adjustments in the locker room at the half and bounced back from their second-quarter struggles with a solid performance in the third quarter, outscoring the Wizards 34-20. They displayed great basketball character, mounting an impressive comeback from a 23-point hole through two separate runs: first, a 13-2 burst in the opening 3:30 of the third quarter, followed by a 17-9 surge to close the period, cutting the Wizards’ lead to just nine points, 97-88.
Bridges demonstrated his court awareness, perfectly timing his jump to slam home KJ Simpson’s missed attempt with a put back dunk.
After the Hornets pulled to within seven, Coulibaly knocked down a 3 from the corner to stretch the lead back to double digits with 1:16 left in the game and kept the Hornets at arm’s length.
The Hornets host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night in the rubber match of their season series, which is currently tied 1-1.
The Wizards travel to New York to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
