Recap: Hornets stifle Trae Young, take down the Atlanta Hawks

The Charlotte Hornets earned an important win in front of their home fans on Wednesday night in a 116-106 contest against the Atlanta Hawks. In a game with major implications in the Eastern Conference postseason picture, the Spectrum Center had a playoff vibe as the Hornets and Hawks played to a tie after three quarters.

The turning point of the contest came with 5 minutes remaining as P.J. Washington drove to the basket for a dunk to extend a 2-point lead, only to miss the attempt, leading to a Cody Martin foul during the ensuing battle for the rebound. However, from the 4:20 mark until the 1:29 mark, Washington erupted for 13 points to turn a tie game into an 11-point Hornets advantage.

It was a balanced effort offensively as six players scored in double figures, including Montrezl Harrell who provided 20 points to help Charlotte win the points in the paint battle by a 60-48 margin. Mason Plumlee also helped down low with 10 rebounds and continued utilizing his new left-handed free throw routine, which resulted in a 2-3 performance from the charity stripe on the night.

In the backcourt, LaMelo Ball overcame some early foul trouble and had a solid performance, providing 22 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds with a plus/minus of +24 to lead all players. Terry Rozier had a tough night from the floor, going just 2-8 from three, but did provide a clutch triple with 3:09 remaining to extend the Hornets’ lead to 7.

On the defensive end, it was a total team effort as the Hornets made a concerted effort to take Trae Young out of the game, limiting Atlanta’s star point guard to just 9 points on 3-12 shooting. Although Young did record 15 assists, he had a plus/minus of just +1.

Charlotte is now on a three game winning streak, their longest since January. The Hornets will be back in action on Saturday night at the Spectrum Center as the Dallas Mavericks and MVP candidate Luka Doncic come to town.