A duel between Anthony Davis and Kemba Walker ended with the Charlotte Hornets losing a thriller to the New Orleans Pelicans at home.
The Charlotte Hornets (29-37) were defeated by the New Orleans Pelicans (26-40) as they dropped a crucial game at home in overtime. Kemba Walker, Marvin Williams and Nicolas Batum did all they could for Charlotte but Anthony Davis’ big night was too much to overcome for the Hornets. Steve Clifford’s side dropped to 0-6 on the season in overtime games.
Charlotte’s frontcourt was thin in this one as they were without the trio of big men in Miles Plumlee (calf strain), Frank Kaminsky (AC joint sprain) and Johnny O’Bryant (ankle sprain). Not to mention Ramon Sessions who missed because of knee surgery. The thin front line proved important the Hornets gave up 60 points in the paint to New Orleans.
Turning Point
This was a back and forth affair all the way through. This game featured 24 lead changes and 18 ties before it was all said and done. The turning point was Davis’ play in the overtime period. New Orleans’ star big man scored nine of the team’s 13 points in overtime. Charlotte only mustered up 10 total points in OT.
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Who Stepped Up
Kemba Walker led the Hornets as he nearly finished with a triple-double in this one. The All-Star point guard recorded 24 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Marvin Williams ended the night with a huge double-double of 27 points and 10 boards. To his credit, Nicolas Batum filled the stat sheet with 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Jeremy Lamb added 14 points off of the bench as he led Charlotte’s second unit. Marco Belinelli chipped in 12 points while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had eight points and six boards. Even though Cody Zeller played in 39 minutes, he only scored six points to go along with his nine rebounds.
The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis who scored a game-high 46 points. Not only did he dominate with his scoring but AD also managed to grab 21 boards. Jordan Crawford, who is on a 10-day contract, dropped 19 points and six assists off of the bench in this one. Solomon Hill (16), Jrue Holiday (15) and Dante Cunningham (14) all scored in double-figures for New Orleans. DeMarcus Cousins was a minor factor as he only 11 points in 25 minutes.
Play of the Game:
Tweet of the Game:
That was a brutal burger with a side of cries.
— Locked On Hornets Podcast (@LockedOnHornets) March 12, 2017
"Quick Stings"
- Kemba has now scored 20+ points in eight straight games.
- Marvin scored a season-high 27 points in this one.
- Walker recorded a season-high 12 assists.
- Williams and Kemba both recorded their seventh double-doubles of the season.
- Lamb has now scored 10+ in four of his last five games.
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 0-2 in their season series against the Pelicans this year. It was not only a bad loss because of the season series but also because of Charlotte’s position in the Eastern Conference standings. They have made their path to the playoffs even harder with this tough loss.
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In their next outing, the Charlotte Hornets will take on the Chicago Bulls at home. It will be the third and final meeting between the two teams as the winner will take the season series. The Hornets won their last matchup against the Bulls in the Queen City earlier this year. This is also a crucial game in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.