Hornets vs. Wolves: The good, the bad, the LaMelo Ball (March 3)
The Hornets closed out their road trip and the first half of the regular season with a dominant win in Minnesota on Wednesday, 135-102.
Charlotte trailed much of the first period before taking the lead in the second period and never looking back. The second half, though, is where the Hornets blew it open, outscoring the hosts Timberwolves 36-20 in the third period and 37-26 in the fourth, totaling a 73-46 advantage across the two periods.
Terry Rozier was red hot in the second half, tallying 31 points with four assists and three rebounds. Gordon Hayward finished with 23 points in his return to the lineup while LaMelo Ball had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Good: Terry Rozier's third quarter
While the Hornets led at halftime, they weren't really in control, at least not as much as they should have been. Then Rozier came out in the third quarter and went bombs away, tying the franchise record for 3-pointers in the quarter with five. He finished with 18 points in the period and the Hornets blew the game open in the period before going full throttle in the fourth. After a relatively quiet handful of games, Rozier's explosion was a welcome sight. Honorable mentions: Gordon Hayward's return, LaMelo Ball's fourth
The Bad: P.J. Washington's injury
After building a lead that eclipsed 30 points, the only thing that could ruin the night for Charlotte would be an injury. That made Washington's right ankle sprain all the more frustrating. Washington was immediately ruled out for the game, though that could likely be attributed to the blowout nature of the game. There's no timetable for Washington's injury or return but with Cody Zeller also out, the Hornets center rotation is razor thin now. The All-Star break could not come at a better time.
The LaMelo Ball: Quiet start, loud finish
For the first time in the road trip, Ball looked a little gassed on Wednesday. He was relatively quiet in the first half and only played 13 minutes, sitting out much of the second quarter. But he made his presence known in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter. Ball knocked down three straight 3-pointers that, while doing little more than adding insult to injury for the Timberwolves, helped the confidence going into the break. Ball finished with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting overall and 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. He also notched seven rebounds and five assists with two steals.
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