By Matt Gorry, hornets.com
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The Result
Charlotte rode a strong performance from the bench and rallied from an early deficit to notch its first road of the season, dropping the Suns, 103-95, on Nov. 14 in Phoenix.
Turning Points
The Suns came out on fire, drilling five 3-pointers in the opening quarter, jumping ahead by as much as 14. But Charlotte withstood the barrage and hit back in the second, out-scoring Phoenix 33-19 in the frame to pull even at the halftime horn at 47. The teams stayed close until a late run put the game out of reach. With the game tied, 79-79, the Hornets scored 12 of the next 14 points to pull ahead for good. Gary Neal sank four final free throws to seal the victory, capping a productive night for the bench.
Inside the Box Score
Charlotte got 43 points from the bench to erase an early deficit and stay even with a high-scoring Suns’ squad… Gary Neal scored 14 points, pulled down three rebounds and handed out three assists to lead the way… Bismack Biyombo turned in his best performance in recent memory, tallying a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) in 14 dominating minutes in the paint… Cody Zeller added eight points, five rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes… Brian Roberts finished with seven points.
Hornets Player of the Game
Bismack Biyombo saw his first significant minutes of the season and did not disappoint, recording a strong double-double in the paint with 11 points and 10 boards, providing a huge lift from the bench.
Suns Player of the Game
Eric Bledsoe was the motor for the Suns’ offense, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Game Notes
Despite being out-shined by the play of the bench, three starters hit double-figures in the night… Kemba Walker paced the offense with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists… Al Jefferson scored 14 points and grabbed eight boards… Lance Stephenson stuffed the sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds, seven dimes and two steals… P.J. Hairston earned his first career start and scored nine points in 17 minutes of action… Marvin Williams finished with five points and two boards… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was sidelined with a foot injury.
Next Up
The Hornets close out a four-game West Coast trip in the Bay Arena at 10:30 p.m. against the Warriors Nov. 15. The game can be seen on FOX SportSouth or be heard on WFNZ or on the Hornets mobile app.
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