Charlotte Hornets fail to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo as they fall to the Milwaukee Bucks, 103-94

Despite a 22-rebound game from Dwight Howard, the Charlotte Hornets didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with The Greek Freak and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Charlotte Hornets (1-2) were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks (3-1) in a game that came down to the final minutes. Dwight Howard had a monster game on the glass but it was no match for Giannis Antetokounpo’s 32 points. Late game execution was a problem for the Hornets and ultimately, led to their downfall in this one.

Charlotte was a bit shorthanded heading into this one as they were without Nicolas Batum (sprained left elbow), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller (bone bruise R knee), Michael Carter-Williams (knee soreness) and Julyan Stone (left hamstring strain). Despite their lack of point guard depth, Marcus Paige did not see any playing time although the two-way player was active. Instead, Malik Monk filled in as Kemba’s backup.

Game Story

This back and forth affair featured 14 lead changes and 11 ties. Neither team led by more than 10 points throughout. The game was tied at 94 with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter but a 9-0 run to end the game sealed the win for Milwaukee. Dwight going 0-9 from the free throw line and the team only shooting 58.3% from the charity stripe, was a big issue.

More from Swarm and Sting

• Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
• Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
• Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
• Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
• Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?

Player of the Game:

Frank Kaminsky was Charlotte’s best player as he finished with a team-high 18 points and five rebounds. Back in the state where he went to college, the former Wisconsin Badger was huge off of the bench for the Hornets. With back to back good performances, Kaminsky looks to be turning the corner.

Jeremy Lamb came close to a double-double as he scored 17 points and grabbed nine boards. Kemba Walker added 15 points while Johnny O’Bryant finished with 14. Dwight Howard was held to only eight points but he did manage to grab an impressive 22 rebounds which were almost half of what the entire team had (48).

Giannis Antetokounmpo continues his incredible start to the season by putting up 32 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Without MKG, Charlotte had to answer for The Greek Freak on the defensive end. Khris Middleton (20), Mirza Teletovic (15) and Tony Snell (13) rounded out the Bucks’ double-digit scorers.

Highlight of the Game:

Tweet of the Game:

"Quick Stings"

• Howard came up three rebounds short of Charlotte’s team record (25).
• Jeremy Lamb has scored 15+ points in every game so far this season.
• Charlotte outrebounded Milwaukee 48-42.
• The Bucks outscored the Hornets 56-32 in points in the paint.
• Marvin Williams tied Raymond Felton for 5th most made three’s in team history (375).

With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-1 against Milwaukee this season. The two sides will face off a total of four times this year with the next matchup will be on November 1st in the Queen City. After going only 1-2 against the Bucks last season, the Hornets aren’t off to a good start during the 2017 campaign.

Next: Four things the Hornets and Panthers have in common

In their next outing, the Charlotte Hornets will return home to host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m. EST. It will be the first of two meetings they have set for this season. Steve Clifford’s side will be looking to bounce back from this heartbreaking loss.