The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks for the second straight game, 103-99 on Monday.
The Hornets fell behind in the early stages of the game. They fought back, tightening the screws on defense and held Milwaukee without a basket for almost six minutes. In that period of time, the Hornets went on a 16-0 run, flipping the score from a seven point deficit to a nine point lead. At the end of the first quarter, Charlotte led 28-19.
The Hornets started the second quarter ice cold from the field. A Mason Plumlee bunny was the only Hornets basket in the first four and a half minutes of the quarter. The Bucks, who were not exactly lighting the world on fire themselves, were able to get back into the game and eventually take the lead. Interim Bucks coach Darvin Ham called a timeout, which seemed to spark both offenses. They combined to score 22 points in the final 2:44. Going into the locker room, the Bucks had a one point lead, 48-47.
LaMelo Ball joined the party to start the second half, with ten early points. The Hornets were briefly without Gordon Hayward after taking a shot to the face from Bobby Portis while fighting for a rebound.
After some back and forth play, the Hornets played shutdown defense on the Bucks again, holding them without a field goal for four and a half minutes. Charlotte went on a 15-0 run to open up another double digit lead. The Bucks went to a zone defense to try and take the Hornets out of their offensive rhythm and it worked. The zone, in combination with Jordan Nwora finding his own rhythm, pulled the Bucks within six. Jalen McDaniels connected from downtown to extend the lead back to nine, 83-74, in favor of the Hornets.
The offensive troubles reared their ugly head for both teams to start the fourth quarter, as they combined to shoot 0-9 from the field. The Hornets also struggled with taking care of the ball. Even when the Hornets generated good looks, they still would not fall.
Kris Middleton scored the first nine points of the quarter for Milwaukee. Terry Rozier converted a couple of free throws and PJ Washington found Miles Bridges for a dunk to put the Hornets up by four. Giannis Antetokounmpo was given a relatively easy three-point play opportunity on the Bucks next possession. He missed the free throw, but Wesley Matthews tapped in the rebound and knotted the game. Ball made a clutch running floater to put the Hornets up by two, with 15.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
“That is a highly difficult shot, but he makes it look effortless,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “Melo has that uncanny ability to be going 100 mph, get off-balance and still be poised when he raises up. … That’s tough to do for a player who has been in the league 15 years, let alone a guy who has been in the league two years.”
The Bucks attempted to get Antetokounmpo going toward the rim, but Cody Martin and Washington walled him off and forced an ill-advised pass that resulted in a turnover. Bridges hit two free throws to put the game on ice.
Rozier had 27 points and was 4 of 11 from three-point range for the Hornets. He also had seven rebounds and four dimes. “We are heading in the right direction at the halfway point of the season,” Rozier said. “… We’re not satisfied, but we like where we are at.”
Ball contributed 23 points, 18 of them coming in the second half, with five boards and three assists. Bridges had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Hornets were without Kelly Oubre Jr. due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Middleton had 27 points and 11 assists for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Nwora had 18 points, three rebounds and one assist.
The Bucks host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. The Hornets travel to Philadelphia to face Joel Embiid and the 76ers on Wednesday night.
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