Shorthanded Charlotte Hornets Fall to Davis Bertans and the Spurs, 102-85

The Nic Batum-less Charlotte Hornets weren’t able to get the job done away from home as they couldn’t keep pace with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Charlotte Hornets (20-18) were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs (30-7) as they dropped their second consecutive game on the road. Their five -game road trip has gotten off to a rough start and without Nicolas Batum, this game was always going to be a tough one to win. While the Hornets fought hard to keep this one close, Davis Bertans wasn’t having any of that as his career game broke the game wide open.

Charlotte was without Nicolas Batum who is their leading rebounder, leading assist man, and second best scorer. He suffered a hyperextended right knee last time out but the injury isn’t considered serious and he should only be out 1-2 weeks. In some good news, Cody Zeller returned after missing three straight games with a concussion. He played 32 minutes in his first game back and had nine points to go along with nine rebounds.

Turning Point

The third quarter is usually the Hornets’ best quarter but it was their downfall in this match. With 3:48 left in the third period, the game was tied at 60. Then the Spurs went on a 13-4 run to end the quarter as they took a 73-64 lead heading into the fourth. Charlotte only scored 14 points in the third. That was only the beginning as San Antonio, with the help of Davis Bertans, pushed their lead to as many as 22 in the fourth as they pulled away.

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Charlotte was a bit unlucky as they played much better than the what the final score showed. They battled and were challenging the Spurs for the better part of the game.

Who Stepped Up

Kemba Walker had more pressure in this one with Nic Batum out and as usual, he led the team with 18 points and three assists. Jeremy Lamb filled in for Nicolas in the starting lineup and he had a decent outing with 13 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist narrowly missed out on a double-double as he finished with 12 points and nine boards.

Marvin Williams chipped in with 11 points while Roy Hibbert added 10 off the bench.

Davis Bertans led the Spurs as he scored a career-high 21 points off the bench on 5-6 shooting from the field and 4-5 from three. Kawhi Leonard was just behind him as he finished with 19 points in this one. Dewayne Dedmon and LaMarcus Aldridge each had a double-double as they combined for 30 points and 21 boards.

Play of the Game:

Tweet of the Game:

"Quick Stings"

• MKG scored in double figures for the 20th time this season.
• The Spurs bench outscored Charlotte’s second unit 55-22.
• It was a back and forth affair as the game featured 20 lead changes and 13 ties.
• The Hornets uncharacteristically committed 15 turnovers.
• Charlotte only shot (4-21) 19% from the three-point line.

With the loss, the Hornets fall to 0-2 against the Spurs this season. This was their final meeting this year as Charlotte has now lost three straight games to them and six straight in San Antonio. This is always a tough matchup for the team and it was even more difficult without Batum this time around.

Next: Five Reasons Why Kemba is an All-Star

In their next game, the Charlotte Hornets will travel to H-Town to take on the Houston Rockets. It will be the first of two meetings between the two sides this season. Steve Clifford’s side will look to pull off the upset against MVP candidate James Harden and one of the NBA’s most prolific offenses next time out.