Hornets Recap: Swarm Make Wizards Disappear In Home Finale

In their regular season finale, the Charlotte Hornets returned home to duel the Wizards on Sunday, April 10. With Washington resting several of their key players, the Swarm barely broke a sweat dispatching their opponent in this one.

As the four Eastern Conference play-in teams all tipped-off at the same time, this one meant a lot for the Hornets. If Atlanta or Brooklyn were to lose, Charlotte could leap-frog them in the standings on the final day of the season, but more on that race later.

For the game itself, the Hornets were never in danger of losing. Despite a modest two-point lead at halftime, the Swarm kicked into overdrive and ended up beating the Wiz 124-108.

Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball carried the Hornets all afternoon. With Rozier scoring 25 points and Ball chipping in a 24-point, 10-rebound, nine-assist game, the duo of guards terrorized Washington from the tip. This combination also connected on 11 of their 16 attempts from deep.

Despite Ball’s eight turnovers, the Hornets played a nearly flawless game. They shot 53.9% from the field, 54.5% from three, and dished 34 assists as a team. With their defense holding Washington to a shooting split of 45/35/62, there was not one thing the Swarm did poorly.

As they round into play-in form, Charlotte did not receive any additional help from their Eastern Conference counterparts. Atlanta, Brooklyn, and Cleveland, the three teams ahead of Charlotte in the play-in standings, all won as well, which means that the play-in standings did not change on the final day of the season.

With Charlotte set to hit the road for the 9-10 play-in game, their opponent, the Atlanta Hawks, better be ready. The Swarm are young, talented, and most importantly, hungry. Although the Hornets are squaring off against a reigning Conference finalist, anything can happen in a one-and-done scenario.