All Hornets

LaMelo Ball owns the fourth quarter again in nail biting Hornets win over Giannis and the Bucks

Matt Alquiza

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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Eastern conference standings: 8th with a record of 5-7.

LaMelo Ball is the best closer in the National Basketball Association. The Charlotte Hornets superstar guard was unbelievable in winning time, leading his squad to a nail-biting win over the Milwaukee Bucks. 16 fourth quarter points for Ball completed a comeback win for the Hornets, locking down another close win in front of their home fans.

The contest was tight throughout, with neither team able to separate from the other throughout the 48 minutes of action. Josh Green (more on him later) landed the first handful of blows for Charlotte, Moussa Diabatè carried the Hornets through the middle stanzas, and Ball brought them home down the stretch.

Best of the night: Welcome to Charlotte, Josh Green

Charlotte's major offseason acquisition was nails on Saturday afternoon. On his 24th birthday, Green sparked Charlotte's offense in an uncharacteristically potent first quarter for the Hornets on the scoreboard. Green finished with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals or the game, but his impact transcended statistics.

Green's incessant hustle won Charlotte multiple possessions. His magnum opus was a chase down rip away from Giannis Antetekounmpo, the Bucks all-world big man who had nasty intentions as he barreled towards the rim. Green poked the ball away from behind, setting the Hornets transition offense up for a quick-trigger three-pointer by Miles Bridges.

This afternoon, Geen was everything that Charlotte thought they traded for this summer. He knocked down open shots, played tough-nosed defense, and covered every inch of the floor on defense with relentless energy.

Worst of the night: Charlotte's defense

The Hornets, like many before them, had no answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak had a triple double secured early in the third quarter after spending 24 plus minutes cutting Charlotte's defense up as a scorer and facilitator. The Bucks offense as a whole was nearly in triple digits by the end of the third quarter as they knocked down jumper after jumper against a scrambling Hornets defense that was tilted by Antetokounmpo's gravity.

Stat of the night: 10 offensive rebounds for Moussa Diabaté

I'll give you LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller as the top two. How far do you have to go down the list of the Hornets' most important players before getting to Moussa Diabaté? Two more? Three more? He has been tremendous on both ends, hauling in high-flying boards on offense and locking down the paint on defense. Diabatè is the definition of "diamond in the rough." What a player.

Highlight of the night: Two-way play ends with a Hornets trey

Charlotte heads to Cleveland tomorrow for a match-up with the league-leading 14-0 Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip-off in the Land is set for 6 P.M.

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Matt Alquiza
MATT ALQUIZA

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