Hornets Close Out Wizards In The Fourth
The Hornets got a solid win in front of their home crowd as Miles Bridges hit a big three-pointer late to ice the game vs the Wizards.
It’s hard to believe but the Charlotte Hornets are 6-2 this season in one-possession games. It feels like they’ve had trouble closing games. The Grizzlies, Wizards and Phoenix games are the first ones that come to mind. This was a big win for a team that has had a knack for making mistakes down the stretch.
Devonte and Terry
These boys are playing lights out right now. Graham finished with 29 points and 6 assists. Rozier finished with 17 points 8 rebounds and 7 assists. This was Graham’s 9th game of 20+ points this season. Graham hit big shots down the stretch and Rozier knocked down free throws late in the fourth to help close the game for Charlotte. If Charlotte gets more help in the frontcourt, this team could be dangerous.
Miles Bridges finished with 16 points, Cody Zeller racked up his 5th double-double of the season finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds on 5-6 shooting. Even Bizmack Biyombo put up solid numbers adding 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Bertans Continues To Light It Up From Deep
Davis Bertans has been about as hot as you can be from beyond the arc. He also notched his 9th game of 20+ points this season and finished with a career-high 32 tonight while shooting 8-12 from three. He was a one-man wrecking crew towards the end of the third and most of the fourth, scoring 21 in the second half.
While Bertans was on fire from three, the Hornets played some of their best defense of the season, getting big stops when it mattered throughout the game. In crunch time the Hornets rank 8th offensively and 20th defensively. The Wizards rank 9th offensively and 30th defensively in crunch time.
Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura was impressive in this one as he ended up with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Bradley Beal had an off night, finishing with 16 points while going 0-7 from three.
Nic Batum Continues To Play
It’s no secret that since signing a massive 5 year $120 million contract with Charlotte in 2016, Nic Batum has not played up to his contract. Tonight was another one of those games that left Hornets fans asking “Why does he continue to get playing time?” finishing with zero points, one assist, two rebounds, and four personal fouls.
Before the season started, Coach Borrego made it clear that the best players would play regardless of their contract. It’s hard to imagine that the Hornets have no other options to play meaningful minutes behind Batum.
Over the past three seasons, his numbers have steadily declined. Averaging 11.6 PPG in 2017, 9.3 PPG in 2018, and 3.2 PPG this season. With a career average of just 11.6 PPG, he’s never set the world on fire with his ability to score. What set Batum apart was his ability to affect the game in different ways. Before signing his max contract here in Charlotte, Batum was actually a solid player. Not worth a max contract but it was a time when a lot of guys got overpaid (Allen Crabbe signed a 4 year $75 million deal) and if you’re wondering who Allen Crabbe is, I’m willing to bet you’re not alone.
The good news is, there’s still time for Nic to start contributing. And at the end of the day, that’s all that Hornets fans really want.
The Hornets kick off a three-game road trip tomorrow against the Nets while the Wizards travel to Memphis.
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Twitter: BetweenTwoBerns
