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Hornets Drop Double OT Heartbreaker in Washington

By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com

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The Result
The Hornets pushed the Wizards to double overtime on March 27 in Washington before falling on the road, 110-107. Al Jefferson finished with a team-high 31 points and had a chance to force a third overtime, but his last-second 3-pointer was too strong as Charlotte took the road loss.

Turning Points
While Al Jefferson’s last-second missed trey kept Charlotte from forcing a third OT, it was the final 14.0 seconds of regulation that turned the tide in this one. Following two Kemba Walker free throws to put the Hornets up 95-91 with 14 ticks left, Caron Butler buried a 3-pointer from the left side to cut Charlotte’s lead to 95-94 with 11.7 seconds remaining. Jeffery Taylor went to the line after being fouled with 10.5 ticks on the clock and converted on 1-2 free throws to give Washington a chance. John Wall took advantage for Washington, connecting on a crucial jumper from the right side to tie it with 3.3 seconds left but Mo Williams desperation heave from the top of the arc didn’t ring true, leading to the first of two extra sessions.

Inside the Box Score
Al Jefferson (31 points, 10 rebounds), Mo Williams (26 points, 10 assists) and Gerald Henderson (11 points, 14 rebounds) all finished with double-doubles… The two teams combined for 133 total rebounds, with the Wizards holding a 72-61 advantage. Washington also outrebounded Charlotte, 17-10 on the offensive glass… The Wizards held the advantage in the paint, outscoring the Hornets, 50-35, with their 17 offensive boards leading to 19 second-chance points compared to Charlotte’s eight… The Hornets stayed in this one at the free-throw line, where they connected on 27-of-35 freebies (77.1 percent) to the Wizards 13-of-22 (59.1 percent).

Hornets Player of the Game
Mo Williams nearly finished with a triple-double, scoring 26 points to go with 10 assists and nine rebounds. He connected on 4-of-10 3-pointers and added two steals and two blocked shots in 41 minutes. He led all scorers with 11 points in the second quarter alone.

Wizards Player of the Game
John Wall had a game-high 32 points on 12-of-30 shooting and hit the game-winning shot for Washington. He added nine rebounds and six assists on his way to the near triple-double.

Game Notes
Michael Kidd-Glilchrist left the game with a sprained left ankle with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter and the Hornets up 77-71. He did not return to the game will be re-assessed in Charlotte this weekend. The Hornets are 3-15 without MKG in the lineup this season… Both teams entered overtime with identical 3-2 records… Cody Zeller (shoulder) was held out of the contest… Charlotte entered the fourth quarter up, 79-75, but missed its first 11 field goal attempts of the fourth as Washington built an 88-82 lead… Gerald Henderson hauled down a career-best 14 rebounds to lead Charlotte on the glass, surpassing his previous career-best of 10 boards… Drew Gooden brought down a season-high 17 rebounds for Washington, topping his previous mark of 12.

Next Up
The Hornets return home for a showdown with Eastern-Conference-leading Atlanta at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 28 in Washington. The game can be seen on FOX SportsSouth or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.