Charlotte Hornets Beat Atlanta Hawks 144-138
Summary
The Atlanta Hawks entered Monday night's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets as heavy favorites and laid an egg. Charlotte, the worst team in the Eastern Conference with the worst offensive rating in the NBA, ran Atlanta off the floor 144-138.
Less than 24 hours after his trade was approved, Saddiq Bey found himself in Atlanta's starting lineup. John Collins (hip flexor) missed the game, and his replacement played well. Bey logged 12 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
However, Bey was the only Hawks starter who didn't score 20+ points. The entire game was a race with minimal defense. Atlanta shot 39.3% from three and made all 21 of their free throw attempts.
Despite Atlanta shooting the ball better than they usually do, Charlotte was unrecognizable. Charlotte knocked down 20-37 (54.1%) threes and shot a blistering 63.1% from the field.
The lowly Hornets take the season series 3-1. But this blowout loss raises tough questions Atlanta must answer. Has their coaching staff been tuned out, or are they just ineffective? Are we sure Atlanta has the best backcourt in the Southeast Division?
Atlanta falls to 29-29, while Charlotte improves to 16-43 on the season and prepares for their next game against the San Antonio Spurs in two days. Atlanta heads home for a matchup against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Stats
Hawks Leaders
Trae Young - 25 PTS, 14 AST
Clint Capela - 22 PTS, 7 REB
De'Andre Hunter - 21 PTS, 7 REB
Hornets Leaders
LaMelo Ball - 30 PTS, 15 REB
Terry Rozier - 29 PTS, 5 REB
Gordon Hayward - 26 PTS, 5 REB
