The Charlotte Hornets almost avoided registering a one-win December on Monday when they rallied to force overtime against the Chicago Bulls. Miles Bridges' off-balance 3-pointer tied the contest at 98-98, and the Hornets prevented a game-winner in regulation.
However, in true Hornets fashion, they allowed Chicago to put up 17 points in the extra period, resulting in a seven-point loss. At least Charlotte showed a never-say-die attitude anew. Still, fans may have been frustrated with how the team followed up an impressive first quarter, in which it outscored the Bulls 24-15, with a poor defensive effort, allowing 37 points in the second period.
It's worth noting, though, that the match featured some interesting stats that factored into the Hornets' loss.
Seth Curry's throwback explosion in the opening stanza
Without LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, it was unclear who would take charge of Charlotte's offense. As it turned out, Seth Curry got the hot hand, as he scored the team's first 12 points. He got deep into his bag, as his field goals included a pair of 3-pointers, a tip-in shot, a running floater, and a baseline layup after losing his defender. By the time Curry was done with his opening act, he had outscored the entire Bulls lineup by five.
The sharpshooter finished with 17 in the first half but missed all four of his shot attempts after intermission.
Miles Bridges' Jekyll-and-Hyde performance
Bridges needed to step up offensively with two of Charlotte's best players out of commission. He was more than willing to let it fly and act as the primary facilitator, recording 31 points (including the final field goal of regulation), 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
However, the veteran forward may have tried too hard to imitate Ball, as he attempted a career-high 32 shots, hitting only 13 of them. He also went 2-13 from beyond the arc.
Vasilije Micic shooting himself out of Charlotte
Some Hornets fans are incredulous that Vasilije Micic continues to be a part of the roster. The coaching staff has had no choice but to rely on him to take over starting duties with Ball out.
On Monday, Micic inexplicably tied Curry for the second-most field-goal attempts with 13. It would have probably been fine if he didn't miss 12 of those shots. Perhaps it's time to admit that the Serbian playmaker just can't keep up with the pace of the NBA.
Mark Williams had a perfect game
If some people still think Mark Williams is not 100 percent, his performance against Chicago might cause them to think otherwise. Even though it appeared he was still under minute restriction (he played 31 minutes in the overtime contest), his movement on the court looked like that of the Williams of old.
During one particular sequence, the young center intercepted an errant pass, chased it down to complete the steal, and sprinted down the court to get a pass from Josh Green before throwing it down. He finished the evening with 20 points on a 9-9 shooting clip (2-2 from the charity stripe), 12 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. Even more impressive was that he logged a team-high +12 plus/minus.
It was just unfortunate that the Hornets couldn't capitalize on Williams' perfect game.