LaMelo Ball and DeMar DeRozan each topped 30 points, but LaMelo’s Charlotte Hornets were able to come out with the win over DeMar’s Kings, 117-109.
The Summary
LaMelo Ball got the Hornets out to a good start as they took an early lead. It was short lived however. The Hornets could not get stops on the hapless Kings. The teams traded baskets into the second quarter, where the visitors started missing shots and turning the ball over. They steadied the ship on offense, but some woeful breakdowns on the other end of the floor kept the Kings ahead. Both LaMelo and DeMar DeRozan scored 20+ points, and the Kings took a three point lead into the half.
DeRozan did not cool off during the halftime break. We also got our once-per-game Brandon Miller unforced turnover in transition. But LaMelo kept pace with DeRozan and pulled the Hornets to a lead. They built that lead up a little bit when DeRozan took a breather. When he returned, he kept making his shots, but the Hornets still held their five point lead going into the fourth quarter.
A personal 6-0 run from Coby White started the fourth and gave the Hornets their first double digit lead of the game. They held that stiff arm for quite a while despite the continued best efforts of DeRozan. A couple of sloppy turnovers kept the Kings alive and set up a closer finish than I think anyone would have really wanted to see. Miles Bridges drove for a layup then LaMelo hit a step back three to give Charlotte some breathing room. They held an 11 point lead as the clock bled under two minutes. It wasn’t perfect game management from there, but it was good enough to hold on to the win.
The Good
Where to start? All of the Hornets starters played well. I guess we’ll go with LaMelo first since he dropped a 30 piece. He went shot for shot with DeMar DeRozan at points when the Hornets needed him to. He sprinkled a few big buckets throughout the night to either stop Kings runs or start Hornets runs. It felt like he had total control of the game from start to finish. And he added six more threes to his tally, moving him into a tie for second in the league behind one Kon Knueppel.
Speaking of Kon Knueppel, his rookie season remains absolutely unprecedented. He added five more 3-pointers of his own, one of which was self created at the end of the shot clock right in DeRozan’s face. His consistency has been remarkable, and this was another ho-hum efficient 24 points for the 20 year old.
It was nice to see Miles Bridges have a little bounce back after some rough games. He fit himself into the flow of the game and didn’t settle for as many threes. I think this is the blueprint for how he needs to play down the stretch. Get downhill and attack the basket. Let that get you into a rhythm, and then the threes are more likely to go in. Now just stop getting back cut on the defensive end and we’ll be cooking.
Brandon Miller played fourth fiddle, but that was just fine with how well his teammates were playing. He made the shots he created and continued what’s been a lower volume but extremely efficient month of March so far.
It was a solid win. I think we need to remember that there’s no shame in winning competitive game against a bad team. Even the bad teams are competitive a good bit of the time. We’ve gotten spoiled by how often the Hornets have bludgeoned weaker teams, but it’d be unrealistic to expect that every night.
The Bad
The Hornets have caught some tough breaks with players playing out of their minds lately. First it was Tyler Herro for the Heat. Then it was a combo of Jalen Green and Tyler Gillespie for the Suns. After a night off from absurd offensive performances against the Blazers, the Hornets were subjected to DeMar DeRozan’s best game of the season.
I’m starting to get the impression that officials are going to the replay monitor expecting to change the call. Like an act of good faith to the coach challenging the call. Miles Bridges got awarded with a blocking foul. The call was challenged. To me, nothing on the replay definitively contradicted the call, but it was overturned to a charge after a pretty lengthy review. Almost like they were trying to talk themselves into it. If you’re unsure, just leave it. A coach challenging the call doesn’t mean you need to prove them right.
What’s Next
The Hornets get two days off to prepare for a showdown in San Antonio. They’ll face off with the Spurs on Saturday afternoon on Amazon Prime.