By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com
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The Result
Frank Kaminsky scored a game-high 19 points and brought down 12 rebounds in his first action with the Charlotte Hornets at the Orlando Pro Summer League on July 4 at the Amway Center but his last-second shot to tie it was off the mark as the Hornets fell, 76-74, to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Turning Points
While the Hornets didn’t come away with the win, the turning point for both Charlotte and Frank Kaminsky came in the first three minutes of the third quarter as “Frank the Tank” scored the Hornets first 12 points on back-to-back 3-pointers, an old-fashioned three-point play and another trey, giving Charlotte a 46-40 lead. Kaminsky’s run came after a slow start from long range after his missed his first three treys in the first half and the Hornets went just 1-for-14 from long range in the first 20 minutes (summer league quarters are 10 minutes long). Charlotte went 5-of-10 from outside the arc in the third stanza, paced by Kaminsky’s 4-for-4 shooting, and built 59-53 lead heading to the third but could not hold on for the win.
Inside the Box Score
Five Hornets scored in double digits in this one led by Frank Kaminsky’s 19 points. P.J. Hairston followed with 13 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field but was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. Brian Qvale added 12 points, while Troy Daniels and Aaron Harrison notched 10 points apiece to round out Charlotte’s double-digit scorers… The Hornets were outshot 36.6 percent (26-of-71) to 42.4 percent (28-of-66) from the field and 30.0 percent (9-of-30) to 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from 3-point range. However, Charlotte held a 76.5 percent (13-of-17) to 60.9 percent (14-of-23) from the charity stripe… The Hornets were outrebounded, 42-35, but held a 13-12 advantage on the offensive glass led by Kaminsky and Qvale’s four offensive boards each.
Hornets Player of the Game
Frank Kaminsky shined in his Charlotte debut, recording his first double-double with a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds. Kaminsky drained 4-of-8 shots from outside the arc while adding two steals to fill the box score.
Thunder Player of the Game
Semaj Christon recorded a double-double for the Thunder with 14 points and a game-high 10 assists to go with five rebounds, one steal and one block. He also hit what would prove to be the game-winning shot on a drive to the hoop with 20.4 seconds remaining.
Game Notes
Bench play was also key in the contest, as Oklahoma City’s reserves outscored Charlotte, 25-14. While four of the Hornets scored in double figures, only two Thunder players (Frank Gaines, 17 points and Semaj Christon, 14 points) put up double digits in the scoring column.
Up Next
Charlotte will next take on the Memphis Grizzlies summer league squad at 3 p.m. on Sunday in Orlando. Watch the game on NBA TV and follow the live stats on hornets.com or the Hornets official mobile app.