Ball scores 22, Hornets pull away late to beat Hawks 116-106

Updated Mar. 16, 2022 9:35 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball had 22 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, P.J. Washington scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, and the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 116-106 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.

Montrezl Harrell chipped in with 20 points off the bench and Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges each had 18 points for Charlotte.

Clint Capella had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Hawks, who had their three-game win streak snapped. Trae Young had 15 assists but was held to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.

The Hornets entered the night a half-game behind the ninth-place Hawks in the Eastern Conference but vaulted ahead of their division foes and got back to .500 on the season.

The Hawks and Hornets entered the fourth quarter tied at 85 in game in which neither team led by more than eight points through the first three quarters.

But the Hornets started to pull away late behind Washington. He knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Terry Rozier followed with an off-balance 3 from the right wing to beat the shot clock and give the Hornets a 105-98 lead with 3:06 left in the game.

Washington then scored an old-fashioned 3-point play off a pick-and-roll pass from Ball to give Charlotte a double-digit lead. Washington drilled another 3 to push the lead to 11 and scored on a dunk off on a pass from Bridges to put the final touches on the win.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Were outscored 60-48 in the paint.

Hornets: Mason Plumlee has been struggling so much from the foul line that the 7-foot center has switched to shooting his free throws left-handed. Plumlee air-balled his first attempt but then returned to the line later in the second quarter and made back-to-back free throws as the crowd erupted in cheers. ... Miles Bridges scored 18 points for Charlotte — all in the first half.

UP NEXT

Hawks: Host Grizzlies on Friday night

Hornets: Host Mavericks on Saturday night.

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