By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com
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The Result
Jeremy Lin (16 points), Kemba Walker (13) and Brian Roberts (12) combined for 41 points at the point as the Hornets racked up their third-straight preseason win, 106-94, over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first ever NBA game played in Shenzhen, China on Oct. 11 at the Shenzhen Universiade Centre. Cody Zeller (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Spencer Hawes (10 points, 13 rebounds) both notched double-doubles in the victory and the 2015 NBA Global Games.
Turning Points
Head Coach Steve Clifford inserted his second unit late in the third quarter with the Hornets holding onto a 73-69 lead, and from that point, Cody Zeller took the game over, scoring 11 points in a 26-11 Charlotte run that lasted into the fourth and gave the Hornets a 99-80 lead. Zeller found success working the pick-and-roll with Charlotte newcomer Jeremy Lin as the Hornets reserves kept the pressure on the Clippers and would never see their lead dip below double digits.
Inside the Box Score
Seven Hornets - Jeremy Lin (16 points), Cody Zeller (16), Kemba Walker (13), Jeremy Lamb (12), Brian Roberts (12) Nicolas Batum (11) and Spencer Hawes (11) - finished the game scoring in double-digits, with both Zeller (13 rebounds) and Hawes (10) earning double-doubles… Charlotte's bench outscored the Clippers, 58-42, led by Jordan and Lin's 16 points apiece and Roberts' and Hawes' double-digit efforts… Batum and Roberts came out with energy and set the tone for Charlotte. Batum finished with nine points in the opening quarter and Roberts sparked the reserves with seven points off the bench in the first frame on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting from the field and 1-of-1 shooting from the charity stripe… With impressive performances from Zeller and Hawes inside, the Hornets outscored the Clippers, 42-20 in the paint and outrebounded Los Angeles, 48-40.
Hornets Player of the Game
With all the pressure on Jeremy Lin as the first american born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, It would be easy to name him player of the game after a 16-point performance in front of a raucous Shenzhen crowd. However, it was Cody Zeller's standout effort (16 points, 10 rebounds) that earned him the nod, especially considering his five points were a crucial part of the Hornets 14-3 run at the start of the fourth that pushed the lead to 99-80 and kept the game out of the Clippers reach.
Clippers Player of the Game
J.J. Redick scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. The former Duke Blue Devil added one steal in 25 minutes of action.
Game Notes
Jeremy Lamb got his first start with the Hornets and finished with 12 points, four assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block… Lamb was one of four Hornets to finish with at least four assists. Kemba Walker led the way with five, while Lamb, Jeremy Lin and Brian Roberts all added four apiece… Chris Paul (finger) missed the game but Los Angeles Head Coach Doc Rivers said he hopes Paul will be able to play in Shanghai, China.. Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan and Associate Head Coach Patrick Ewing were both honored in the third quarter and earned standing ovations from the Shenzhen crowd.
Next Up
The Hornets head to Shanghai to take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2015 NBA Global Games with an 8 a.m. (EST) matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at the Mercedes Benz Arena.