Carroll, who played 25 games with the Bobcats last season after being called up from Roanoke of the NBDL, connected on 9-13 shots from the field, including a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line in 31 minutes of action.

“I just wanted to come out, play aggressive and allow the game to come to me,” said Carroll. “Last season with the Bobcats gave me the confidence to know when shots were coming my way, and I was able to knock them down tonight.”

Charlotte led 21-15 after the first quarter and took a 41-35 advantage into halftime after closing the quarter on a 15-7 run, sparked by seven consecutive points by May.

“I think we got better as the game went along, “said Bobcats Assistant Coach John-Blair Bickerstaff. “Our guys really played unselfish basketball, and there were a few guys that showed the type of leadership that we did not expect tonight.”

Charlotte led by as many as 20 points in game and scored 22 points off 22 Seattle turnovers.

“Our defense really carried us in the second half, and it was nice to see all of the things we worked on in preparation for today were showcased in the game,” Bickerstaff added. “It was really a good overall team effort.”

In addition to Carroll and May, Antonio Meeking chipped in with 14 points off the bench, followed by Raymond Felton’s nine points and Bernard Robinson’s eight points. Felton also recorded four assists and two steals before leaving the game with a mild groin strain. He is listed as probable.

Alex Scales led Seattle with 12 points, as no other Sonics player reached double-figure scoring.

The Bobcats (1-0) play host Utah at 8:00 p.m. (EST) tomorrow evening.

WHAT THEY SAID
Rookie Guard Raymond Felton: (On his first professional game) I just wanted to come out and get my teammates involved and make good decisions. Guys were knocking shots down, and we really played together out there. It was a lot of fun and special to be on the court with Sean (May) in competition again.

Rookie Forward Sean May: (On his first professional game) Tonight was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed playing against someone other than my own teammates. I was a bit nervous in the beginning and was forcing things a bit, but once I settled in, I was able to help this team win. This was a good start for us.