The Charlotte Hornets’ offense couldn’t buy a bucket as they fell to the short-handed San Antonio Spurs at home.
The Charlotte Hornets (8-11) were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs (12-7) as they dropped their second straight game. The home team’s offense struggled all game as they scored a season-low 86 points. Even though Gregg Popovich’s side was without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, they still dominated the Hornets.
Julyan Stone (strained hamstring) was the only inactive player for Charlotte. The third-string point guard should be close to returning as we approach the 4-6 week mark which was the time frame he was originally given for the injury. The Hornets got a major scare in the third quarter of this one when Kemba Walker went down with a shoulder injury. After getting x-rays, it was determined he had a bruised shoulder. The good news is that he did return and didn’t show any signs of pain.
Game Story
Charlotte got off to a really slow start. Still, they were up 15-14 after the first quarter. The Spurs started to heat up as the game went on while the Hornets were stagnant on the offensive end. Their 29 points in the first half were the least they’ve scored in any half so far this season. They picked up their scoring in the second half but their defense then took a step back as San Antonio put up 66 in the second half. The Hornets’ offense was abysmal and that was highlighted by their poor outside shooting as they were 4-25 (16%) from three.
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Player of the Game
Despite being injured, Kemba still managed to lead the Hornets with a game-high 18 points. Walker shot 8-12 from the field and added five assists to his stat line. The all-star point guard showed heart and toughness by returning after being injured. He scored 11 of his 18 total points after the 2:00 mark in the third quarter.
Frank Kaminsky and Jeremy Lamb each put up 12 points off of the bench while Dwight Howard grabbed a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams combined for 11 points on 3-19 shooting (15.7%). All 13 active players for Charlotte scored in this one.
The Spurs were led by the frontcourt duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol as they both finished with 17 points and seven boards. Rudy Gay led San Antonio’s second unit with 15 points and six rebounds. Kyle Anderson (14), Manu Ginobili (11) and Patty Mills (10) rounded out the double-figure scorers.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
Might be the sloppiest start to an NBA game I've seen since the start of that 7-59 season a few years back. Hard to watch.
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) November 26, 2017
"Quick Stings"
- MKG passed P.J. Brown for the ninth most offensive rebounds (531) in team history.
- The Hornets are now 0-1 in their purple “Statement” uniforms.
- Howard recorded his 11th double-double of the season.
- Dwight now has a double-double in five consecutive games.
- The Spurs outscored the Hornets, 50-38, in points in the paint.
With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-2 in their season series against San Antonio. The Hornets have now lost three straight games to the Spurs with their last win coming in 2016. This was Charlotte’s first loss on the second night of a back to back this year.
Next: Two unlikely heroes have carried the Greensboro Swarm
In their next outing, the Hornets will travel north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors. It will be the first matchup between the two so far this season. Steve Clifford’s side will be looking to snap their two-game losing streak and get back in the win column after consecutive disappointing losses.