With the Charlotte Hornets dropping three straight, they needed a big win against their I-85 rival, the Atlanta Hawks, and that is exactly what they got!
On Wednesday night the Charlotte Hornets got back in the winning column, thanks in large part to Gordon Hayward. From the very beginning of the game, the Charlotte Hornets dominated the Atlanta Hawks. Something they haven’t been able to do in the last several games.
One of the common themes in the last few Hornets’ games has been their inability to come out of the locker room ready to play. This was not the case in their game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hornets outscored the Hawks 27 to 11 in the first quarter. This is what had been happening to the Hornets over the last several games, and so it was nice to see them do it to another team, especially the Hawks.
Another one of their themes has been not playing an entire 48 minutes of winning basketball. They seemed to have addressed this problem as well. The Hornets started out hot and they stayed consistent throughout the game. There was a moment at the beginning of the 4th quarter where the Hawks began to come back, and actually taking the lead for a brief moment.
Gordon Hayward was rocking against the Hawks, scoring a career-high 44 points. Hayward went 60% (15/25) from the field, including 44.4% (4/9) from the three-point line. He also went 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. There are games where a team needs its star players to go off, and that is exactly what Hayward did. I know the Hornets’ front office is looking favorably down on Hayward tonight! I mean just look at him playing big down low!
And ☝️ @Gordonhayward | @HornetsOnFSSE pic.twitter.com/xDC4HkRPWL
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 7, 2021
Another great thing to see was that LaMelo Ball once again had another fantastic night! The more games the Hornets play, the more I am loving the fact that the Hornets drafted him. In the game against the Hawks, Ball was second on the team in scoring with 16 points in 23 minutes of play. He was 50% (6/12) from the field, including 2 of 5 (40%) from three. He also hit both of his free-throws and had yet another 5+ assist game, recording 5 assists for the night.
Terry Rozier was third in scoring, getting 14 points in only 28 minutes of play. He was 40% from both the field (4/10) and from three (2/5), and he hit 4 out of 5 free-throws. PJ Washington had 9 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets.
The Hornets did a great job on the defensive side of the ball for the better part of three quarters. In the fourth, the Hornets allowed the Hawks to make a run, but even with that, they held the Hawks young star, Trae Young to only 7 points. He was 22% from the field and 0% from three-point range.
All-in-all the Hornets played a complete game, and while there is plenty to be happy about, there are a few things Coach Borrego needs to examine. For one thing, the play down low needs to improve and it needs to happen now! Biyombo only had 2 points and 8 rebounds.
I was looking for Bismack Biyombo to have a big game for the simple fact that the Hawks are not known for their impressive play in the paint. Biyombo had better numbers against the 76ers. Miles Bridges and the Martin twins did not have great games either. All three of them only scored 2 points apiece a combined 9 rebounds. These numbers simply won’t cut it.
On a smaller note, Devonte’ Graham did not have a great night. I thought he would turn things around but that is unfortunately not yet the case. He did score 11 points but 5 of those points came off of late 4th quarter free-throws. While every point counts, I want to see a higher field goal percentage, and I’m sure he does as well. Graham only hit 2 of 14 (14.3%) from the field and 22.2% (2/9) from three-point range.
Even with these faults, the Hornets did what they needed in order to win the game, and for that, I am more than happy! Especially because we beat our I-85 rival, the Atlanta Hawks. The guys went out there and fought hard for a victory, and that’s all we can ask for!
Let’s see if the Charlotte Hornets can continue their winning ways on Friday, as they finish off their road trip in New Orleans to take on the Pelicans in an ESPN primetime game. This will also be the first time LaMelo will be playing against his older brother Lonzo in an NBA game.
Hornets: Devonte’ Graham has got to turn his game around… and quick!
Devonte' Graham's struggles on the court could result in him losing his starting spot for the Hornets, but regardless, he needs to turn his game around.