The Charlotte Hornets dropped their second straight game as they were blown out by Andrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Charlotte Hornets (5-5) were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-3) as their struggles away from home continue. Charlotte’s now only 1-4 on the road so far this season. The Hornets struggled on the defensive end as the T-Wolves shot 45.8% (38-83) from the field, 41.7% 10-24) from three and 86.7% (26-30) from the free throw line and had six players in double figures.
Nicolas Batum (left elbow) and Julyan Stone (strained hamstring) were both on the inactive list while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (personal issue/excused absence) is not with the team. Michael Carter-Williams made his season debut in this one. He finished with zero points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block in eight minutes of action.
Game Story
This game was tied at 28 at the end of the first quarter. Minnesota then broke things open in the second quarter where they outscored Charlotte, 40-23. The Timberwolves ended up extending their lead to as much as 23 points in the second half. The Hornets never got back within single digits after the 3:42 mark in the second period.
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Player of the Game
Cody Zeller was one of the only players for Charlotte to put up a respectable stat line in this one. He ended the game with a team-high 16 points to go along with nine rebounds off of the bench. Zeller only played 22 minutes and after this performance, he may be in line for more playing time going forward.
Dwight Howard was one rebound short of a double-double as he put up 13 points and nine boards on the night. Jeremy Lamb and Marvin Williams each added 13 points while Kemba Walker had his worst scoring game of the season only managing nine points. Although, the all-star point guard did record nine assists.
The Timberwolves were led by Jeff Teague who had a double-double with 18 points and 12 assists. Andrew Wiggins chipped in with a game-high 20 points while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and nine rebounds. Gorgui Dieng (15), Jamal Crawford (15) and Jimmy Butler (13) rounded out Minnesota’s double-digit scorers.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
"Quick Stings"
- Jeremy Lamb has scored 13+ points in every game so far this season.
- Minnesota’s 112 points are the most Charlotte has allowed on the road this year.
- The T-Wolves ou-rebounded the Hornets, 54-38.
- Monk recorded a career-high eight assists.
- Marvin tied a season-high with three made three’s.
With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-1 in their season series against Minnesota. They will meet once more this year on November 20th in the Queen City. The Hornets had won three consecutive games at the Target Center heading into this one.
Next: Nic Batum targeting a November 15th return
In their next outing, Charlotte will travel to the Big Apple to face off against the New York Knicks. It will be the first meeting between the two sides so far this season and the third game of the Hornets’ current four-game road trip. Steve Clifford’s side will look to snap their two-game losing streak and pick up an important win away from home.