By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com
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Result
Dwight Howard recorded his 48th double-double (22 points, 13 rebounds) of the season and Malik Monk came off the bench to lead Charlotte’s reserves with 17 points but the Hornets could not match the Wizards three-point barrage or make up for their 17 turnovers leading to 21 opposing points in a 107-93 loss on Saturday in Washington.
Turning Point
Charlotte took a 51-50 lead into the locker room break and was looking to build their lead to open the third but went cold from the field, missing its first six shots of the the quarter. The Wizards countered with an Otto Porter jumpshot and three-straight Bradley Beal three-pointers as they rattled off an 11-0 run to take a 61-51 lead the Hornets would not be able to bounce back from.
Hornets Player of the Game (Pick up your Malik Monk gear here)
Malik Monk continues to progress in his added minutes with the season winding down and finished with 17 points off the bench in 24 minutes to lead both teams’ reserves. Monk connected on 7-of-17 shots from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. He also added three assists and a rebound. Monk has averaged 11.5 points in his last four games and hit three treys in three of the last four contests.
Wizards Player of the Game
Otto Porter scored a game-high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, including 6-of-10 from long range and added 11 rebounds to complete the double-double on his bobblehead day in Washington. Porter also handed out two assists, blocked two shots and grabbed one steal in 38 minutes.
Game Notes
Dwight Howard finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, one steal and one block to record his 48th double-double of the season. He passed Emeka Okafor for second-most double-doubles in a season and is just one double-double behind Larry Johnson for tying the franchise high in one season. Howard has also moved into 15th place on the NBA’s all-time rebounding leaderboard… Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also scored in double figures in Charlotte’s starting lineup, while Willy Hernangomez (11 points, nine rebounds) nearly recorded a double-double off the bench… Both teams shot 45.5 percent from the field, but the Wizards outshot the Hornets 46.2 percent (18-of-39) to 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from three-point range… Charlotte turned the ball over 17 times leading to 21 Washington points, while the Wizards coughed it up 12 times leading to 12 Charlotte points.
Quote of the Night
“We had good energy. The difference in the game was the turnovers. Their defense is aggressive and built on creating steals and turnover and making you pay on the other end and that was the difference in the game.” – Head Coach Steve Clifford
Next Up
Charlotte returns home for a 1 p.m. matinee on Easter Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.