5 of the Greatest single-game statlines in Hornets history
By Ben Brady
In a loss against the Utah Jazz on January 26, 2024, now-former Hornets guard Ish Smith tallied 12 assists despite not scoring in the game. While the stat line might seem unremarkable at first glance, only 18 players in NBA history had recorded more than 12 assists in a game while scoring zero points.
Though one of the younger franchises in the league, the Charlotte Hornets have had their fair share of eye-grabbing individual box scores.
Kelly Oubre - 1/26/22
On January 26, 2022, through three quarters of a matchup against the Detroit Pistons, Kelly Oubre Jr. had scored 15 points on 4-9 shooting, including 2-6 from three-point range. By the time he checked out of the contest with just over four minutes remaining, he was up to 39 points and a franchise-record 10 three-pointers.
In just seven minutes and six seconds of game time, to the excitement of commentator Eric Collins and fans in attendance, Oubre Jr. shot 8-for-9 from deep. In the victory, he matched Milwaukee’s Michael Redd’s NBA record for most three-pointers made in a fourth quarter.
Gerald Wallace - 12/27/06
Years before his 2010 All-Star nod and All-Defensive First Team selection, “Crash” had cemented his place as one of the league’s most effective defenders with versatility similar to the likes of Andrei Kirilenko. Since blocks and steals began being recorded in 1973, three players have recorded a season of at least 50 games played averaging over two blocks and two steals: Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Gerald Wallace in the 2005-06 season.
In a matchup against the Washington Wizards the following season, Wallace stuffed the stat sheet with 40 points, 14 rebounds, six of the Bobcats’ nine steals and all four of the team’s blocks. Though Gilbert Arenas scored 39 points to lead the Wizards in a 114-107 victory, Wallace’s performance was certainly one of the most dominantly multifaceted in the franchise’s history.
Muggsy Bogues - 3/25/94
Despite being the shortest player in NBA history at 5 feet 3 inches, Muggsy Bogues cemented his legacy as a Charlotte legend by playing larger than his stature. This was perhaps most apparent on March, 25, 1994, when he grabbed double-digit rebounds to go along with 18 points, five assists and a pair of steals.
In the Hornets’ 102-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons, Bogues’ 10 rebounds were tied for most in the game with center Alonzo Mourning and totaled more than the high-flying forward Larry Johnson and 6’9 center Frank Brickowski, respectively.
Kemba Walker - 11/18/18
While 60-point and even 70-point games have become common in today’s NBA, in 2018, such a scoring display was notable enough to be remembered by basketball fans all season. When Kemba Walker erupted for a franchise record 60 points on November 18 against the Philidelphia 76ers, it was just the 15th performance scoring 60 or more points in the 21st century. Furthermore, at just 6 feet tall, Walker tied Allen Iverson as the shortest player in league history to score 60-plus points in a game.
To the chagrin of Hornets fans, Walker also recorded just the sixth game (by a player not named Wilt Chamberlain) scoring at least 60 points in a loss. The display defined a career-best season from Walker, as he averaged 25.6 points, was named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter and awarded All-NBA Third Team honors, despite the Hornets missing the postseason. To this day, the scoring spree serves as a testament to the greatness of the all-time scoring leader in the franchise's history.
Dwight Howard - 3/21/18
By the 2017-18 season, only Kevin Love with the Timberwolves in 2010 had recorded a 30-point, 30-rebound performance in the previous 36 years.
Years removed from his time as a perennial All-Star and recognition as the most dominant big man in the NBA, Dwight Howard turned back the clock in a win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 21, 2018, when he tallied 32 points and a franchise-record 30 boards in just 34 minutes, becoming the eighth player in league history to record such a stat line. While extraordinary, video game-like stat lines have become commonplace in today’s NBA, Howard’s performance is still the most recent 30 point, 30 rebound game.