The Charlotte Hornets are now eight games under .500 after losing a close game at home to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Charlotte Hornets (19-27) were defeated by the New Orleans Pelicans (26-21) as they stumbled down the stretch. Dwight Howard had a monster game with 22 points and 16 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Big Three of the Pelicans who combined to score 54 points. Kemba Walker struggled from the field while Charlotte committed 14 turnovers on the night.
Cody Zeller missed his 23rd straight game as he continues to recover from knee surgery. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned to the starting lineup after a one-game absence due to an axillary abscess in his right arm.
Game Story
This was a back and forth game that featured fifteen ties and 10 lead changes. After the game was tied at 92 with 3:07 left, the Pelicans outscored the Hornets 9-4 to close out the fourth quarter. The game came down to poor shooting for Charlotte. They struggled from deep and from the charity stripe shooting only 28.6% (6-21) from three and 58.1% (18-31) from the free throw line.
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Player of the Game
Dwight Howard led the Hornets as he finished the game with 22 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. The eight-time all-star recorded his 29th double-double of the season while also grabbing 15+ rebounds for the sixth consecutive game. Despite his great performance, the big man was a -12 in +/-.
Kemba Walker added 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds but he needed 21 shots to do so and also committed six turnovers. Frank Kaminsky led Charlotte’s second unit with 16 points and five boards off of the bench. Marvin Williams had one of his best games of the season with 14-point, 14-rebounds double-double.
The Pelicans were led by their all-star frontcourt duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Davis had 19 points while DMC put up 16 points and 13 rebounds. Jrue Holiday also had a good game as he chipped in 19 points. E’Twaun Moore rounded out New Orleans’ double-figure scorers with 11 points.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
"Quick Stings"
- Dwight played in his 1000th career game
- Kemba made his 900th career three.
- Marvin made his 800th career three in this game.
- Williams grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds.
- Marvin recorded his third double-double of the season.
With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-1 on the year against New Orleans. The Pelicans have now won three straight regular-season games over the Hornets dating back to last season when they swept the Queen City team. Their second and final meeting of the year will be on March 13th in The Big Easy.
Next: Charlotte should buy-low on Mudiay
In their next outing, the Hornets will host the Atlanta Hawks in the fifth and final game of their current homestand on Friday, January 26th. It will be the second meeting of the season between the divisional rivals after Charlotte took the first matchup. Steve Clifford’s side will look to bounce back and close out their homestand with a win.