We have a Scary Terry sighting!!! Terry Rozier was spectacular against Washington – hitting eight threes, including a dagger that helped the Hornets close out the Wizards 109-103. Rozier would lead Charlotte with 32 points. This was only Washington’s 2nd loss at home and it’s the 2nd time the Hornets have beaten the Wizards in the last week. Charlotte nearly let Washington come back, but clutch plays from LaMelo and Terry helped close the game out.
Let’s look at some observations from Charlotte’s win:
Hornets Dominate the 3-point Line:
The Hornets dominated the three-point line tonight vs the Wizards. Charlotte was a very efficient 15-31 from the 3-point line, while Washington was only 9-36. Terry Rozier was 8-11 from behind the arc, LaMelo hit three three-pointers, and Gordon Hayward added two. In their first meeting Charlotte also held Washington to 19% shooting from three.
Interior Presence is a Problem:
The Hornets got dominated on the glass and lost the battle of points in the paint. Washington won the rebounding advantage 65-36 and had 20 offensive boards. Washington had 50 points in the paint compared to the Hornets’ 36. Most of the damage was done by Montez Harrell, who was an absolute problem in the paint. Harrell had 24 points and 18 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. Often Miles Bridges was matched with
Montrezl when Washington went to their small-ball line up and had to work hard to battle versus the bigger Harrell. Hopefully, for the Hornets, PJ Washington can return soon to give Charlotte another body on the front line.
LaMelo Bounces Back from a Slow Start:
LaMelo got off to a very slow start, shooting 1-8 from the floor in the 1st quarter. The sign of a great player is having a short memory. LaMelo turned it around quickly in the 2nd quarter – going 5-7 from the floor, including three treys. LaMelo was 3-5 in the final period, including a huge three-point-play and a tap out off a missed Miles Bridges dunk that led to Terry Rozier’s dagger. LaMelo finished the game with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists.
Hornets Win the Battle of the Backcourt:
Terry and LaMelo combined for 60 points, while holding Bradley Beal to 5-18 shooting and Spencer Dinwiddie to 2-11 from the floor. In the first matchup between these two teams Spencer Dinwiddie was 0-5. Charlotte’s backcourt has gotten the best of the Wizards so far in two games and it will need to continue as Charlotte only needs to split the last two games to win the season series.
Charlotte has won their last six out of seven and will travel to Orlando to face the Magic Wednesday night. The Hornets have a good opportunity to get a win on the road before traveling home to face Minnesota on Black Friday, which will be their last home game until December 6th.
Slow Starts Continue to Plague Tar Heels