Charlotte’s On-Ball Defense Can’t Get Stops Late, Homestand Ends With 0-4 Record
Though the Charlotte Hornets looked far more competitive on Wednesday night than they did in the first three games of their homestand, the outcome remained the same in a 117-110 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center.
Miles Bridges totaled 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, 15 rebounds, five assists and a career-high-tying six 3-pointers in the loss, becoming the 11th different player in NBA history to reach 30-15-5 with at least five 3-pointers in a single game, per Basketball Reference. This was also the first 30-point, 15-rebound, five-assist game in franchise history and the first 30-15 game by a Hornets’ player since March 21, 2018 (Dwight Howard’s 30-30 game in Brooklyn).
Charlotte got moving with a 19-3 second quarter run and the Bulls soon countered with a 15-0 stretch spanning halftime to take a 64-59 lead early in the third. Unlike in two of their past three games, the Hornets didn’t let this recently troublesome frame get away from them, making it to the fourth tied at 86. Led by Coby White, Chicago kept driving and pressuring Charlotte’s defense, tallying 31 points, nine free-throw attempts and six takeaways in the final 12 minutes.
“We couldn’t guard the ball,” said Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford afterwards, when asked about the fourth quarter. “They were just in the paint every pick-and-roll. The first three quarters we were pretty good and then they were just so much more direct in the fourth quarter, particularly White and [DeMar] DeRozan. We changed it, got more aggressive, but again, just controlling the ball was the biggest issue. Those guys are terrific offensive players. They played well, and sometimes that happens.”
Added Bridges, “If we got like three stops on Coby, we win the game. I feel like we’re right there. We’re playing the right way. Everybody on this team wants to win. We’re learning, we’re getting through it. We’ve been dealing with injuries all year and we’ve got to find a way to get a win.”
PJ Washington (26 points on 10-of-17 shooting) had his fourth 25-point game of the season and second in three appearances. Fresh off being named an NBA Rising Star, Brandon Miller notched his sixth 20-point game in eight outings, while Nick Richards navigated some foul trouble to add another 10 points. The Hornets sank 16-of-46 from 3-point range (34.8%), which was more attempts than they took from inside the arc (24-of-44; 54.5%).
White ended with a season-high 35 points – 10 in the fourth quarter – on 12-of-22 shooting, seven rebounds and nine assists. The North Carolina native finished only one point shy of tying his single-game career high set back in January of 2021. Nikola Vučević recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds for this 25th double-double of the campaign, with Ayo Dosunmu (16) and DeRozan (15) each scoring 15, as well. This victory marked Chicago’s sixth straight over Charlotte and bumped its head-to-head record to 12-2 since the start of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The Hornets will make a quick one-game road trip to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, Feb. 2 beginning at 8 PM ET. Follow all the action on Bally Sports Southeast and WFNZ 92.7 FM.
2024-01-31
Bridges Records Rare Statline, Bulls’ Offense Too Good In 4th Quarter
Sam Perley, NBA.com/Hornets
Charlotte’s On-Ball Defense Can’t Get Stops Late, Homestand Ends With 0-4 Record
Though the Charlotte Hornets looked far more competitive on Wednesday night than they did in the first three games of their homestand, the outcome remained the same in a 117-110 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center.
Miles Bridges totaled 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, 15 rebounds, five assists and a career-high-tying six 3-pointers in the loss, becoming the 11th different player in NBA history to reach 30-15-5 with at least five 3-pointers in a single game, per Basketball Reference. This was also the first 30-point, 15-rebound, five-assist game in franchise history and the first 30-15 game by a Hornets’ player since March 21, 2018 (Dwight Howard’s 30-30 game in Brooklyn).
Charlotte got moving with a 19-3 second quarter run and the Bulls soon countered with a 15-0 stretch spanning halftime to take a 64-59 lead early in the third. Unlike in two of their past three games, the Hornets didn’t let this recently troublesome frame get away from them, making it to the fourth tied at 86. Led by Coby White, Chicago kept driving and pressuring Charlotte’s defense, tallying 31 points, nine free-throw attempts and six takeaways in the final 12 minutes.
“We couldn’t guard the ball,” said Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford afterwards, when asked about the fourth quarter. “They were just in the paint every pick-and-roll. The first three quarters we were pretty good and then they were just so much more direct in the fourth quarter, particularly White and [DeMar] DeRozan. We changed it, got more aggressive, but again, just controlling the ball was the biggest issue. Those guys are terrific offensive players. They played well, and sometimes that happens.”
Added Bridges, “If we got like three stops on Coby, we win the game. I feel like we’re right there. We’re playing the right way. Everybody on this team wants to win. We’re learning, we’re getting through it. We’ve been dealing with injuries all year and we’ve got to find a way to get a win.”
PJ Washington (26 points on 10-of-17 shooting) had his fourth 25-point game of the season and second in three appearances. Fresh off being named an NBA Rising Star, Brandon Miller notched his sixth 20-point game in eight outings, while Nick Richards navigated some foul trouble to add another 10 points. The Hornets sank 16-of-46 from 3-point range (34.8%), which was more attempts than they took from inside the arc (24-of-44; 54.5%).
White ended with a season-high 35 points – 10 in the fourth quarter – on 12-of-22 shooting, seven rebounds and nine assists. The North Carolina native finished only one point shy of tying his single-game career high set back in January of 2021. Nikola Vučević recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds for this 25th double-double of the campaign, with Ayo Dosunmu (16) and DeRozan (15) each scoring 15, as well. This victory marked Chicago’s sixth straight over Charlotte and bumped its head-to-head record to 12-2 since the start of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The Hornets will make a quick one-game road trip to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, Feb. 2 beginning at 8 PM ET. Follow all the action on Bally Sports Southeast and WFNZ 92.7 FM.