By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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The ResultThe Hornets ended their three-game road trip on a positive note as they grinded out a 92-88 victory over the Wizards on Monday, Feb. 2 in Washington. Charlotte controlled a tight game throughout as they took the lead over the Wizards with 2:56 remaining in the second quarter and never relinquished it again. Al Jefferson and Brian Roberts each finished with 18 points to lead the Hornets, while Bradley Beal scored 18 points of his own to lead the Wizards.
Turning PointsCharlotte came out of the break and set the tone in the second half going on a 10-0 run to a take a 63-51 lead with 6:39 remaining in the third quarter. Washington would put up a fight and cut the lead to one possession multiple times late in the fourth quarter but ultimately could not overtake the visiting Hornets as Brian Roberts drained two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to seal the deal for Charlotte as it defeated Washington for the fourth-straight time.
Inside the Box ScoreMichael Kidd-Gilchrist recorded his second-consecutive double-double notching 13 points and 13 rebounds for Charlotte. Kidd-Gilchrist has tallied six of his career-high eight double-doubles on the season since Jan. 2… Brian Roberts scored 18 points for his highest-scoring outing since Nov. 28… Gerald Henderson (17) and Gary Neal (12) also scored in double figures for Charlotte… Henderson also led the Hornets with five assists… Marvin Williams returned from a two-game absence and finished with seven rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes… John Wall recorded his 27th double-double on the season finishing with 16 points and a team-high 10 assists. Wall is now tied for 6th in the NBA with Kevin Love for double-doubles… Kris Humphries (13) and Paul Pierce (11) also scored in double figures for the Wizards… Nene Hilario finished with eight points and seven rebounds… The Hornets connected on 37-of-79 field-goal attempts (46.8%) while the Wizards made just 33-of-81 field-goal attempts (40.7%)… The Wizards scored 20 points off Charlotte’s 13 total turnovers compared to the Hornets who scored just 11 points off Washington’s 12 total turnovers.
Hornets Player of the GameAl Jefferson continues to step up for Charlotte in the absence of Kemba Walker as he lead the Hornets with 18 points, 12 rebounds and two steals for his third double-double in the last five games. Jefferson also spent much of the night guarding Marcin Gortat and held the Wizards center to just four points on 2-of-6 field-goal attempts.
Wizards Player of the GameBradley Beal notched his first double-double since Jan. 2 and second overall on the season finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Wizards. Beal has now scored in double figures in 14 of his last 15 games.
Game NotesBismack Biyombo missed his third consecutive game (knee)… Paul Pierce moved past Alex English for 15th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with a made three-pointer in the first quarter… Pierce also received a technical foul in the third quarter… Charlotte improved to 5-1 without Kemba Walker this season… Washington dropped its third-straight game.
Next UpThe Hornets will host a rematch with the Washington Wizards on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX SportsSouth or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.