With Kemba Walker resting, the Charlotte Hornets weren’t able to steal a win as the Bucks pulled away late in Milwaukee.
The Charlotte Hornets (36-48) were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks (42-39) as their losing streak now extends to four games. The visitors were without Kemba and it showed as no Hornet scored over 13 points in this one. Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s triple-double led the home side to a much-needed win as they are still fighting for seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Charlotte was a bit shorthanded in this one as they were without not only Ramon Sessions and Johnny O’Bryant but also Kemba Walker and Marco Belinelli. The Hornets are shutting down their All-Star point guard for the final two games of the season with the playoffs now out of reach. As for Marco, he’s sitting out due to a left finger strain.
Game Story and Turning Point
Even without their star in Kemba Walker, Charlotte managed to put up a good fight. Even though Milwaukee won, the Hornets led for a majority of the game and they were even up by as much as 11 points in the second quarter. Late game execution killed Charlotte once again as the Bucks outscored them 28-13 in the fourth quarter. The Hornets’ 66-61 lead after the third period was quickly erased. Even without Kemba, the same struggled continued to plague the team.
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Who Stepped Up
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist led the Hornets as he finished with a team-high 13 points to go along with five rebounds. Jeremy Lamb managed to score 12 points off of the bench while grabbing four boards. The biggest surprise was Treveon Graham as he scored 12 points. He benefitted from Marco Belinelli being out as the VCU product was given extra minutes.
Nicolas Batum didn’t score a whole lot with only 11 points on 5-12 shooting but he did fill up the stat sheet by recording eight assists, five rebounds and four steals on the night. Brian Roberts started in place of Kemba Walker but could only muster up seven points on 3-10 shooting from the field. Frank Kaminsky received a hometown welcome as the Milwaukee crowd gave him a standing ovation when he entered the game but he struggled only scoring three points on 1-12 shooting.
The Bucks were led by The Greek Freak who recorded a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Greg Monroe and tony Snell each put up 16 points in this one. Jason Terry and Khris Middleton rounded out the double-digit scorers with 15 points each.
Play of the Game:
Tweet of the Game:
Hornets reached into a bag labeled "plays" and came up empty handed in the 4th.
— Locked On Hornets Podcast (@LockedOnHornets) April 11, 2017
"Quick Stings"
- Treveon Graham scored a career-high 12 points in this one.
- The Hornets were out-rebounded 45-39.
- Milwaukee made 16 three’s compared to only five for Charlotte.
- The Hornets fall to 14-26 away from home.
- The Bucks’ bench outscored Charlotte’s second unit 41-34.
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 1-2 against the Bucks this season. As a result, Charlotte’s six-game win streak in Milwaukee was snapped. This is a tough pill to swallow as the Hornets were 3-1 versus the Bucks last year.
Next: Rumor: Kemba Wants Blake Griffi in Free Agency
In their next outing, the Charlotte Hornets will stay on the road to take on the Atlanta Hawks. It will not only be the fourth and final meeting between the divisional rivals but it will be the final game of the season for Steve Clifford’s side. Charlotte will look to close out the year on a high note.