Charlotte Hornets pick up their first road win of the season as they defeat Memphis, 104-99

Kemba scores 27 points as a fourth-quarter rally helps lead the Charlotte Hornets to a comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Charlotte Hornets (4-3) were able to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies (5-2) as they picked up their first road win of the season. Despite Dwight Howard having his worst game so far this year, Charlotte was still able to come away win a victory behind Kemba Walker. The Hornets are now over .500 for the first time this season.

Charlotte continues to be without Nicolas Batum (left elbow), Michael Carter-Williams (knee soreness) and Julyan Stone (strained hamstring). Frank Kaminsky returned to the rotation after a one-game absence due to an illness. It looks like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is no longer on a minute restriction as he was on the court for 27 minutes.

Game Story

Coming into the game, Memphis had the best record in the NBA while Charlotte was on the second night of a back to back. Even on tired legs, the Hornets managed to out-rebound the Grizzlies, 56-48, while also holding the home team to only 34.4% shooting from the field. This game was a back and forth affair that featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes. A 15-4 run late in the fourth quarter gave Charlotte a one-point lead at the 3:36 mark that they eventually saw out until the end of the game.

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Player of the Game

Kemba Walker led Charlotte as he scored a game-high 27 points in only 29 minutes. He also added six assists to his stat line while making 12 of his 13 shots from the free throw line. The all-star point guard was the Hornets only player who scored over 18 points in this one.

Jeremy Lamb continued his strong play as he finished the game with 17 points and eight rebounds. Malik Monk only shot 33.3% (5-15) from the field but managed to be the team’s third-leading scorer with 13 points. For the first time this season, Cody Zeller scored in double-digits with 11 points to go along with eight boards. Dwight Howard had a rather quiet game with only two points and nine rebounds.

The Grizzlies were led by Tyreke Evans who put up a double-double off of the bench with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Mike Conley chipped in 16 points while Dillon Brooks and James Ennis each scored 11. Charlotte held Marc Gasol to only 10 points and seven boards in this one.

Highlight of the Night:

Tweet of the Game:

"Quick Stings"

• Charlotte outscored Memphis 31-17 in the fourth period.
• Kemba scored 20 points for the 192nd time in his career which ties Larry Johnson for the most in franchise history.
• Walker also tied Glen Rice for the most career 25-point games in franchise history (109).
• Lamb scored has scored 15+ points in every game so far this season.
• Dwight and Kemba each picked up a technical in this one.

With the win, Charlotte improves to 1-0 against Memphis this season. The two sides will meet once more during the 2017-18 campaign with that matchup coming on March 22nd at The Spectrum Center. The Hornets have not won their last three games in Memphis spanning back to 2015.

Next: Howard believes Charlotte can be a top-3 or 4 seed

In their next outing, the Charlotte Hornets will return home to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. After falling to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks earlier this season, Steve Clifford’s side will be looking to even up the series as they host Milwaukee. The Queen City team will attempt to string together their first three-game win streak of the year.