The Charlotte Hornets concluded the regular season with their fifth straight loss, dropping them into the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference standings. They were beaten by the Washington Wizards Sunday, 115-110.
The Hornets got off to a great start early in the game. There was some back and forth scoring, before they were able to go on a sustained run. Charlotte hit seven 3-pointers in the opening quarter and led by as many as 16 points. P.J. Washington was hot from behind the arc, scoring 9 of his 11 first quarter points. At the end of the quarter, Charlotte led by 14, 36-22.
The second quarter did not start off so hot for the Hornets. They went on a dry spell, scoring only 4 points in the first five minutes of the quarter. But the Wizards started featuring their inside game with Robin Lopez. They were able to make it a two possession game. Terry Rozier made a couple of field goals to extend the Hornets’ lead. The teams played the rest of the half almost at a draw. At halftime, the score was 56-52 in favor of Charlotte.
Jalen McDaniels came out aggressive to start the second half. He was able to get to the charity strike. McDaniels extended his range to the 3-point line, putting the Hornets up by double figures. After a timeout called by the Wizards’ coach Scott Brooks, they went on a 7-0 run. Hornets’ coach James Borrego called a timeout minutes later to stop the bleeding and the Hornets came back with a 12-0 run of their own. LaMelo Ball made two free throws after receiving a hard foul by Davis Bertans. Russell Westbrook was about to shoot two free throws to get the Wizards within single digits, but coach Borrego challenged the call and it was overturned, insuring a 90-79 lead heading into the final stanza.
To start the fourth quarter, the Hornets got out-scored 17-4 as their lead vanished. The Hornets called another timeout to stop the Wizards’ momentum. After the timeout, Miles Bridges successfully hit a 3-pointer, and the Hornets were able to create a small lead by 5 points. Then predictively, the offense went awry. Charlotte did not score a point for the final three minutes of the contest. The Wizards were able to finish the game on a 12-2 run, turning a 5 point deficit into a 5 point victory, allowing them to clinch the 8th seed in the play-in tournament.
Terry Rozier scored 22 points leading seven Hornets in double figures. Bradley Beal had a game high 25 points to lead the Wizards.
The Hornets will play the 9th place Indiana Pacers Tuesday to determine if they will advance in the tournament. Win or go home!
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