By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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Result
A fast-paced opposing offense and a season-worst defensive performance ended up being a bad combination for the Charlotte Hornets as they fell to the Suns, 120-103, on Thursday, March 2 in Phoenix. Despite another impressive performance by Kemba Walker (26 points), it wasn’t enough to overcome Charlotte conceding a season-high opposing field-goal percentage of 59.7 percent to the Suns. The Hornets, who have now dropped five of their last six regular season road games in Phoenix, also lost center Frank Kaminsky in the fourth quarter after he exited with a left shoulder injury and did not return.
Turning Point
Trailing 94-91 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Hornets quickly fell apart as the Suns outscored them in the final frame by a margin of 26-12 on their way to a 17-point victory. Charlotte connected on just 4-of-19 field-goal attempts in the final 12 minutes (21.1 percent), which included an 0-of-7 mark from three-point range. All 26 of Phoenix’s points in the fourth quarter were scored by reserves as they hit 10-of-19 shots (52.6 percent) to cruise to an easy win.
Hornets Player of the Game
Kemba Walker finished with a game-high 26 points, four rebounds, a team-high eight assists and two steals in the loss. Walker has now scored 20-or-more points in a career-high-tying 41 games this season for the Hornets.
Suns Player of the Game
Alan Williams racked up 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and a game-high 12 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench in the victory. Undrafted in 2015, Williams has recorded five double-doubles on the season, three of which have now come in his last seven outings.
Game Notes
Marvin Williams tallied 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting and four rebounds… Frank Kaminsky totaled 16 points and two steals before leaving in the fourth quarter (left shoulder)… Nicolas Batum added 12 points, three rebounds and five assists… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist chipped in seven points, a team-high-tying eight rebounds (five offensive) and a career-high six steals… Briante Weber and Johnny O’Bryant each scored two points in their Hornets debuts… Phoenix’s bench outscored Charlotte’s reserves, 53-23… The Suns also outscored the Hornets in points in the paint (60-36) and on the fast-break (29-10)…. Phoenix won the rebounding battle, 42-34.
Quote of the Night
“We just couldn’t stop them at all from the beginning of the game until all the way through. We never got [Phoenix] under control. Penetration, transition - we let them play to their strengths. We had about three or four guys who put a lot into the game and did a good job, but again, you got to have everybody. Our individual defense just [wasn’t] anywhere where it needed to be.” - Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford
Quote of the Night
“We just couldn’t stop them at all from the beginning of the game until all the way through. We never got [Phoenix] under control. Penetration, transition - we let them play to their strengths. We had about three or four guys who put a lot into the game and did a good job, but again, you got to have everybody. Our individual defense just [wasn’t] anywhere where it needed to be.” - Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford
Next Up
The Hornets will conclude their season-long six-game road trip against the Nuggets starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 in Denver. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.
next up
Saturday, Mar 4 - 9:00 pmPepsi Center, Denver, CO
Fox Sports Southeast - Charlotte Hornets App & WFNZ 610 AM