A solid team effort led the Charlotte Hornets to a blowout victory over the Atlanta Hawks as they continue their push for the playoffs.
The Charlotte Hornets (31-39) were able to defeat the Atlanta Hawks (37-33) as they walked over their divisional rivals. Even though the Hawks were a bit shorthanded with two starters missing in Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore, the Hornets weren’t messing around in this one as five players scored in double figures for them. The bench scoring proved to be the difference.
Ramon Sessions, Miles Plumlee and Johnny O’Bryant remained out for Charlotte in this one. Just as the team got their key players back healthy, their rotation took another hit. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a right ankle strain in the third quarter and did not return. It is unclear how severe the injury is.
Game Story and Turning Point
The Hornets trailed by eight early on in the first quarter but that proved to be their only troubling time in this one. They went on a 27-6 run spanning from the first to the second period to take control of the game by going 13 before halftime. The second half didn’t get any easier for Atlanta as Charlotte continued their solid defense and hot shooting to eventually extend their lead to a game-high 23 points in the fourth. This game was over with plenty of time to spare as Steve Clifford was able to empty his bench as every active player saw minutes for the home team.
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Who Stepped Up
Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum led the Hornets as they each scored 16 points. Frank Kaminsky led the second unit in scoring with 14 points off of the bench. Marvin Williams nearly grabbed a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds on the night while Jeremy Lamb added 12 points.
MKG scored nine points before suffering an ankle injury. Briante Weber continued to impress with his energy and intensity as he chipped in with eight points, four boards and three steals in 18 minutes. Ramon Sessions isn’t getting that backup point guard spot back anytime soon.
The Hawks were led by Dennis Shroder who scored a game-high 20 points to go along with six assists. Dwight Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds to complete his double-double. Ersan Ilyasova scored 13 while the trio of Taurean Prince, Thabo Sefolosha and Tim Hardaway Jr. all scored 11.
Play of the Game:
Tweet of the Game:
The spirit of Bench Force One is in the building tonight!! #BuzzCity
— Locked On Hornets Podcast (@LockedOnHornets) March 20, 2017
"Quick Stings"
- Charlotte’s second unit outscored Atlanta’s bench 43-22.
- Kemba made his 200th three of the season in this one.
- MKG is now 12th all-time in rebounds for the Hornets.
- Charlotte shot (40-80) 50% from the field and (12-30) 40% from three.
- The Hornets recorded 12 steals.
With the win, the Hornets improved to 3-0 against the Hawks on the season. Charlotte will attempt to sweep the season series against their divisional rivals in their final matchup which comes in the final game of the year. Despite having a better record and being in the playoff picture, Atlanta has struggled in this series.
In their next outing, the Charlotte Hornets will hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic. This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams with the Hornets looking to sweep the season series. Orlando has the second-worst record in the East so Charlotte should be the favorites heading into this one even though they are away from home.