By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com
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Result
The Hornets found their offensive groove on Oct. 25 against Denver led by impressive performances off the bench from Frank Kaminsky (20 pts) and rookie Malik Monk (17). Charlotte’s reserves outscored the Nuggets, 49-26, on the way to a convincing 110-93 victory at Spectrum Center.
Turning Point
After using a 14-2 run to turn a 10-9 deficit into a 23-12 lead, the Hornets would eventually close the first quarter with a 27-23 lead. Knowing they had to set the tone to start the second instead of allowing the Nuggets to creep back into the contest, the Hornets looked to start the quarter with momentum. It was mission accomplished as Charlotte rattled off an 8-0 run to open the stanza behind a long two from Malik Monk, a driving bucket from Frank Kaminsky, a jumper from the right side from Dwayne Bacon and a spin move inside from Kaminsky again. It was indicative of how the night went for Charlotte, as its reserves stepped up at key moments and were able to extend leads while giving its starters some much-needed rest. The Hornets would only see the lead drop below double-digits one time the rest of the night (to nine points) as they outscored Denver, 35-16, in the second to build a 62-39 halftime lead on their way to a second-straight victory at Spectrum Center.
Hornets Player of the Game (Pick up your Malik Monk gear here)
Rookie Malik Monk helped fuel the Hornets bench brigade with the most impressive performance of his young career, scorching the Nuggets for 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field while knocking down three treys. He also grabbed two rebounds, dished out two assists and swiped two steals in 25 minutes of play. Monk scored 12 of his points in the first half, including eight in the decisive second quarter that help the Hornets put the game away.
Bucks Player of the Game
All-Star Nikola Jokic recorded his first double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field to go with his team-high 11 rebounds.
Game Notes
Hornets forward Frank Kaminksy had 20 points tonight on 9-of-15 shooting from the field including 2-of-5 from beyond the three-point line. He has 18 or more points in the last three games, the first such stretch in his career… Dwight Howard entered the game ranked 2nd in the NBA with 17.3 rebounds per game, following only DeAndre Jordan (18.3). He posted 15 points and 19 rebounds tonight. With 19 rebounds, Howard became the first Charlotte player with 15+ rebounds in four straight games since Emeka Okafor had 15+ in four straight from 2/14-2/23/07… Howard’s combined rebound total of 71 is the most a Hornets player has ever had in the first four games of a season (previous: 56, Gerald Wallace 08-09)… With 15 points to go with his 19 rebounds, Howard has now recorded double-doubles in three of the Hornets first four contests… Jeremy Lamb finished with 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and and 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, extending his streak of 15+ point games to four, marking the longest such stretch of his career… Hornets forward Marvin Williams had his most efficient outing of the young season with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.
Quote of the Night
“We have a routine going, me and (Associate Head) Coach (Stephen) Silas, we have a great routine and we’ve just been working with it. He said my shots would start falling after I get my rhythm and get going in the offense and that’s what happened tonight.” - Hornets Rookie Malik Monk
Next Up
The Hornets three-game homestand continues at 7 p.m. on Friday when the Houston Rockets visit Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.