Charlotte Closes on 12-0 Run, Produces Season Highs for 2nd-Chance PTS, Offensive Boards

By Sam Perley

Down 14 in the middle of the fourth quarter, things were looking a little bleak for the more-shorthanded-than-usual Charlotte Hornets on Saturday evening at Spectrum Center. But soon, the tide began turning and when the final buzzer sounded, they had earned a much-needed 105-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in their homestand finale.

 

Top Performers: Miles Bridges led the way again with a team-high 26 points on 9-of-20 shooting, 12 rebounds and five assists for his 10^th seasonal double-double. Also shining in the frontcourt was Moussa Diabaté, who logged 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting, a game-high 15 rebounds – career-high-tying 10 offensive – to secure his sixth career double-double. And following a two-point first half, Nick Smith Jr. came alive in the second to finish with 19.  

 

D'Angelo Russell tallied a game-high 28 points – 15 in the fourth quarter – and seven assists for the Nets in their seventh consecutive loss. Both Ziaire Williams (19 points) and Cam Thomas (16 points, 1-of-8 from 3-point range) also scored at least 15 points for the visitors.

 

Turning Point: Trailing 28-26 after the opening frame, the Hornets mustered only 17 second-quarter points on 26.7% shooting – 0-of-9 from 3-point range – to limp into halftime down by 15. For most of the next quarter and a half, Brooklyn maintained a double-digit advantage and led comfortably 97-83 with 7:09 left in the contest. Three-pointers from Damion Baugh and Tidjane Salaün on back-to-back possessions planted the seeds for a 20-5 Charlotte run that was capped off by another second-chance Diabaté putback for a 103-102 lead.

 

Following a pair of empty possessions on both sides and with only eight seconds to go, Cam Thomas freed himself from Baugh on the inbounds at the top of the key, setting up an open floater in the lane. Bridges quickly slid over, swatted away Thomas’ shot with his right hand and grabbed the defensive rebound to seal the nine-game-losing-streak-snapping triumph.

 

A Tale of Two Finishes

 

In Friday night’s one-point loss, the Hornets allowed Cleveland to score on nine of its final 10 possessions, ruining their chances of an upset. Facing a similar situation less than 24 hours later, Charlotte conceded only five points in the final seven minutes – none from the 4:03 mark on – and cooled off the red-hot Russell, while holding Thomas to 0-of-4 shooting in the frame. 

 

Charlotte Capitalizes on 2^nd Chances

 

Despite not having centers Mark Williams or Jusuf Nurkić, the Hornets still stacked a season-high 34 second chance points off a season-high-tying 22 offensive rebounds. Though there were plenty of potential second-chance opportunities given how many shots they missed – including 22 at the rim – Charlotte’s ability to extend offensive possessions was a crucial swing factor.

 

Baugh Makes 1^st Career NBA Start

 

Less than a month ago, Hornets’ guard Damion Baugh was grinding his way through the G League. Fast forward to Saturday night, and he’s not only making his first career NBA start, but also closing the game, as well. Fueled by an evident calmness and poise, the Nashville native scored seven of his 14 points in the team’s late run and had a +13 plus-minus in the fourth.

 

Postgame Quote

 

“To be down at halftime by 15, I thought the group just stuck with it. Not shooting a great percentage… It would be easy to just be like, ‘Oh, it’s a back-to-back and we just don’t have it tonight.’ The group continued to stay with it though, encouraging one another, DB (Damion Baugh) huddling up the group in crucial moments to just get us on the same page. They all made the most of their opportunity.” – Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee

 

What’s Next?

 

The Hornets will embark on a four-game road trip starting with the Miami Heat on Monday, March 10 at 7:30 PM ET. Charlotte has dropped the past six meetings with its Southeast Division rival and all six appearances at the Kaseya Center since the start of the 2021-22 season.