Five days ago, the Charlotte Hornets were stuck in the mud of a 10-game losing streak following a 36-point defeat in Milwaukee. They’ve since won three straight contests for the first time this season thanks to Wednesday night’s 122-99 home thrashing of the Atlanta Hawks.
Brandon Miller led six Charlotte players in double figures with a game-high 26 points, six rebounds and four assists, while breaking DJ Augustin’s single-season franchise rookie record for 3-pointers in the process (now at 112). Tre Mann added a season-high 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, marking his fifth 20-point outing since the start of 2022-23.
After the Hawks closed the first quarter on a 19-6 run, Charlotte proceeded to shoot 57% and win the second, 32-24, resulting in a 61-55 halftime lead. Atlanta got into early foul trouble in the third, a frame the Hornets canned 57% in again and took, 35-25, for a 16-point cushion. Though that got sliced in half by the midway point of the fourth, a 15-1 Charlotte stretch, which featured Vasilije Micić scoring seven points and assisting on two Miles Bridges’ 3-pointers, stamped Charlotte’s sixth win in seven head-to-head meetings with its I-85 rival.
Bridges (17 points), Grant Williams (15 points), Micić (13 points) and Nick Richards (12 points) were all in double figures, with Williams grabbing a season-high 10 rebounds for his first yearly double-double. This was also the first 15-point, 10-rebound game by a Hornet reserve since Dec. 29, 2022 (Mark Williams), per Stathead. Cody Martin had six points, a season-high-tying seven rebounds, four assists, a plus-33 plus-minus and was a massive factor in holding Trae Young and Dejounte Murray to a combined 25 points on 33% shooting (3-of-15 from 3-point).
“Our second half defense was really good,” said Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford. “They had 44. Everybody’s doing a good job, but Cody Martin’s defense these past two games – switching and guarding big guys in the post, his help defense, his rotations. His defense on the ball the other night and tonight was just great.”
Added Miller, “I think we came out with energy on the defensive side and of course, defense translates to offense. I tip my hat off to Cody Martin for coming out and guarding the best player in the game as hard as he can. Without him, I think it would be different. Having that presence with Cody, putting pressure on their best scorers is a big key for us.”
Young’s 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting were a new season low, and included only two free-throw attempts to go along with 12 assists and four turnovers. De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with a team-high 21 points off the bench, while Jalen Johnson added 19 and 12 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the year. With both Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu unavailable, Bruno Fernando got the start at center, finishing with six points and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds.
The Hornets will now have seven full days off for the All-Star Break before starting a four-game road trip against the Utah Jazz on Thursday, Feb. 22 beginning at 9 PM ET. Follow all the action on Bally Sports Southeast and WFNZ 92.7 FM.
Hornets vs Hawks Gallery ‑ 02/14/24
1 / 13CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on February 14, 2024 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
