Returned to balance on the balance sheet (9-9) after having chained five consecutive victories, the Wolves moved last night to North Carolina for a duel between the two best rookies of the past season, Anthony Edwards on one side and LaMelo Ball on the other. But neither really shone, with the Wolf finishing 11 points when the Hornet barely passed their double-double to 10 points and 13 assists.
With a major five at the rendezvous, Charlotte simply raced in the lead from start to finish, well led by Gordon Hayward (18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) but even more by Kelly Oubre Jr. (27 points including 7/13 at 3-points) which definitively repelled Minny thanks to his barrage at the end of the 3rd quarter, allowing the Hornets to take a crippling +16.
Winner 133-115, Charlotte pocketed an 8th success in 9 games, which allowed her to return to 5th position in the Eastern Conference, before embarking on a four-game “road trip”.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— The Hornets hit the mark at 3-point. It is a franchise record tied with 23 3-point successes and an excellent 23/40 or 57% success that brought Charlotte to success. Ironically, the Hornets achieved this fireworks display from afar against the best defense in the League against these famous 3-points (30% normally for Minny’s opponents). In addition to Kelly Oubre Jr. who finished at 7/13 behind the arc, we will also note the beautiful address of Jalen McDaniels (3/4), Terry Rozier (3/3) but also of PJ Washington (5/7).
— Charlotte’s passing game. To send all these bombs over long distances, the Hornets have also deployed a very solid collective game fund. LaMelo Ball set the tone early in the game, including a quarterback throwing pass as he fell out of bounds. Behind, the whole team followed suit and shared the leather well, for 32 passes in total.
— Wolves defensively overwhelmed. After the match, Karl-Anthony Towns railed against the disorganized effort of his Wolves in defense, believing that it was downright “unacceptable” to take such a downpour of 3-points: “We just managed to not defend against anyone. We had two guys on the ball carrier, which left guys open on the wing, ready to shoot. Kelly Oubre had a great time. “
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Kelly Oubre Jr. Has the whimsical Hornets replacement found the right 3-point formula? We say that because it’s still the second time this month that he’s managed to get 7 3-pointers in a game (after his 37-point exit against Memphis). Real X factor of his team coming off the bench, Kelly Oubre Jr. was still very clean and confirms his “career high” at 37% behind the arc this season.
✅ Gordon Hayward. The veteran winger of the troop had dropped a single point game that is unlike him against Orlando two days ago. Suddenly, he set things straight with a full game as he knows so well, with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Active in all areas of the game, Gordon Hayward has even added three blocks to his stats line.
⛔ Anthony Edwards. Tired or simply in an evening without, the little wonder of Wolves remained surprisingly discreet in this match. He finished at 11 points while attempting only 9 shots, which is not so much in his habit.
JALEN VS. JADEN
Like the result of the evening, it was the Hornet who had the best over the Wolf in the match in the match between the two McDaniels brothers. Jalen pocketed the victory but also that of the best game, by far, with a very good outing at 14 points, 8 rebounds off the bench while opposite, Jaden finished with 4 points and 6 rebounds.
THE FOLLOWING
Charlotte (13-8) : “Back-to-back” in Houston to begin a “road trip” of four games, on the night from Saturday to Sunday (2:00 am).
Minnesota (9-10) : “Back-to-back” in Philadelphia, on the night from Saturday to Sunday (midnight).
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