The Charlotte Hornets were back in action Saturday night, facing the Philadelphia 76ers in their first road matchup of the season. Charlotte looked competitive out of the gate and trailed by only three at halftime, despite Brandon Miller exiting early with a shoulder injury. The Hornets surged in the third quarter, building momentum with improved ball movement and shot-making, but ultimately surrendered the lead with a poor fourth quarter performance, falling short in the closing minutes.
LaMelo Ball led the way for Charlotte, posting a near triple-double. Ball finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, along with three steals. Miles Bridges delivered another steady outing, adding 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while helping stabilize the offense through the first three quarters. Rookie guard Kon Knueppel continued his promising start off the bench, going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and scoring 14 points in 30 minutes.
Still, it was second-round pick Ryan Kalkbrenner who once again stole the spotlight. After a double-double in his first career start, Kalkbrenner was tasked with guarding former MVP Joel Embiid. Although he had trouble defensively, in 26 minutes, he finished with 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting, adding seven rebounds, one steal and one block. Through two games, Kalkbrenner has missed only one field goal and is shooting an impressive 12-for-13 to begin his rookie campaign.
Head coach Charles Lee will have to rely on his depth Sunday as the Hornets continue on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, traveling to Washington, D.C., to take on the Wizards. Despite short rest, Charlotte will be hopeful to secure a win against a team that finished last in the Eastern Conference last season.
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