BY: KRISTY GONOWON – SPORTS ON AIR – CORRESPONDENT
1-7-2024
CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets snapped a 10-game losing streak on Tuesday night by beating the slipping Phoenix Suns, 115-104, at the Spectrum Center.
The Hornets started the game a bit slow, allowing Phoenix to score four points before Brandon Miller drained a 32-foot jump bank shot off a Mark Williams assist. Then Miles Bridges ignited the crowd with a dunk off a LaMelo Ball assist to bring the Hornets within five with less than six minutes left in the first quarter, followed by a 23-foot three-point jumper off a Nick Smith, Jr. assist less than a minute later.
With just over a minute left in the quarter, Nick Richards sank a 3-foot hook shot, ending the quarter with the Hornets trailing, 29-22.
The Suns started the second quarter with a quick two points as Bradley Beal made a driving layup within 24 seconds. However, Brandon Miller responded with a big three-point jumper from 28 feet off a Vasilije Micic assist. With less than 6 minutes to go, the Hornets went on a tear, starting with LaMelo Ball making a 27-foot three-point step-back jump shot off a Cody Martin assist to grab the Hornets their first lead of the game, 40-41.
This was followed by a Devin Booker lost ball turnover and a Josh Green steal, resulting in Cody Martin making a two-point shot, followed by LaMelo Ball making a 13-foot running pullup jump shot, 40-45.
The Hornets went on another fast break with less than a minute in the quarter with Miles Bridges sinking a 25-foot three-point jumper off a Brandon Miller assist, Nick Richards grabbing the defensive rebound, and capped off with a quick pass from LaMelo Ball to Brandon Miller for a huge 1-foot dunk. The Hornets went into halftime up, 46-59.
The Hornets had another slow start to the third quarter, going two minutes without scoring and allowing Phoenix to put 6 points on the board, 52-59. After a quick timeout to regroup, Miles Bridges came up with a 2-foot dunk and scrambled against Kevin Durant, resulting in a shooting foul on Durant and Bridges making 1-of-1 free throws, 53-62. With less than five minutes, LaMelo Ball went on a scoring tear, making a 5-foot two-point shot, followed by a 31-foot three-point jumper off a Cody Martin assist, and then another three-pointer from the 23 feet. With Nick Smith, Jr. adding his own 27-foot three-pointer from a LaMelo Ball assist, the Suns had to take a full timeout to regroup, 77-86. The Hornets ended the third still ahead, 83-88.
The final quarter opened well for the Hornets with a Nick Richards dunk off a Miles Bridges assist, followed by a Nick Smith, Jr. 3-pointer from the 26-foot mark off another Miles Bridges assist within the first minute, 83-90. Miles Bridges lit up the crowd with less than nine minutes in the game with a monster jam off a Nick Smith, Jr. assist from almost half court, 85-97.
Mark Williams gave the Hornets another dunk with just over seven minutes left, 87-101, but the Suns’ Bradley Beal answered with his own 11-foot step-back jump shot, 89-101. Trying to keep the momentum with just five minutes left, LaMelo Ball made a 2-pointer and followed it up with an extra point off a Tyus Jones shooting foul, 92-104. This was followed shortly by another LaMelo Ball 3-pointer from a Miles Bridges assist, 95-107. In a much-needed boost, the Hornets hung onto the lead, closing out the game with its first win in 10 losses, 104-115.
The Hornets had four players scoring in the double digits: Miller (13); Bridges (21); Ball (32); and Richards (15), while the Suns had three: Durant (26); Booker (39); and Beal (10). While Mason Plumlee grabbed 13 rebounds for the Suns, it was the Hornets’ Nick Richards who garnered the game’s only double-double with 12 rebounds and 15 points.
The Hornets travel to the West Coast to start a 5-game road trip, starting with a matchup against the L.A. Lakers on Thursday, while the Suns travel down to Atlanta on Thursday to square up against the Hawks.
