Charlotte Hornets Fall to the Washington Wizards at Home, 109-99
The Washington Wizards’ backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal put an end to the Charlotte Hornets’ three-game win streak.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
| Hornets | 22 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 99 |
| Wizards | 30 | 30 | 20 | 29 | 109 |
The Charlotte Hornets (23-22) were defeated by the Washington Wizards (24-20) as their three-game win streak came to an end at home. John Wall outdueled Kemba Walker in a great point guard matchup. The visitors came out on top thanks in large part to the help of Markieff Morris and Bradley Beal who, combined with Wall, scored 65 points total point on the night.
Jeremy Lamb missed his sixth consecutive game with an inflamed metatarsal. The Hornets’ injury problems could’ve gotten a lot worse as Marvin Williams suffered a minor injury in this one with a big right toe contusion. He headed back to the locker room in the first half but later returned.
Turning Point
Despite not leading after the 10-minute mark in the first quarter, the Hornets hung in for the most part. They were down by double digits at times but Kemba and company always found a way to fight back and get close to taking the lead for the entire second half. Charlotte came to within five points at 82-77 with 11:11 left in the fourth quarter.
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Momentum was on their side but the Wizards reeled off an 11-0 run to take a 93-77 lead over the next few minutes. That 16-point lead was their biggest of the game and they never looked back after that. It was just enough to hold off the dangerous Hornets late on in the game.
Who Stepped Up
Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 21 points and five assists but he struggled to find his range shooting only 7-24 from the field. Marco Belinelli chipped in 18 points off the bench while Cody Zeller added 13 points and nine rebounds. Marvin Williams also scored 13 points but had eight boards and four assists to his name.
Nicolas Batum only mustered up four points in this one but he did record seven rebounds and six assists.
The Wizards were led by John Wall who finished the night with 24 points and seven assists. Markieff Morris had a near double-double with 23 points and eight rebounds. Wall’s backcourt running mate scored 18 points in this one. Otto Porter had himself a quietly good game with 14 points and 13 boards.
Play of the Game:
🏀 @KembaWalker hits the off-balance shot and draws the foul!! #WASatCHA #BuzzCity pic.twitter.com/mnznil8eLr
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 24, 2017
Tweet of the Game:
Quick Stings
With the loss, the Hornets fall to 0-2 against the Wizards so far this season. The two losses have come by a total of 13 points as each outing has been close. They will meet twice more this year.
In their next game, the Charlotte Hornets will welcome Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors to the Spectrum Center. A big win at home over the best team in the NBA could help the team regain some momentum. This one won’t be easy as Steve Clifford’s side will have to find a way to slow down the likes of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
