Suns Run Away From Hornets 133-119

The Hornets fell in Phoenix on Friday night.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Charlotte Hornets fell to 0-3 on their West Coast road trip in Phoenix against the Suns on Friday. The loss marked their 10th defeat in a row. 

Much like Thursday night against the Lakers, Charlotte took an early lead and looked like they would be able to give the Suns a tough night. But their lead evaporated against the strong play of Phoenix's stars. 

Devin Booker scored 35 points and Kevin Durant added 21 while Jusuf Nurkic dominated on the interior. The Hornets made a few scoring pushes, but were unable to complete the comeback. 

Best of the night:

Terry Rozier put up a season-high 42 points and knocked down eight shots from beyond the arc. His red-hot 14-for-22 shooting helped keep the Hornets in the game. 

Worst of the night:

While Charlotte cut down on their turnovers and committed just six on the evening, their defense still allowed Phoenix to shoot 60% or better from three-point range and the field overall. They were also behind on the boards once again, finishing -13 in rebounding margin. 

Stat of the night: 

Brandon Miller's five made three-pointers in the first half made him the fourth rookie in the 2023-24 season to make at least five threes in a half. He joins Marcus Sasser, Julian Strawther and fellow Hornet Nick Smith Jr. as the only rookies this season to accomplish this feat. 

Highlight of the night: 

These three points were part of Brandon Miller's spectacular 17-point first quarter. 

1️⃣4️⃣ first quarter points for @brandmillerr! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RDCwW9jpNF

— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) December 30, 2023

The Hornets will return to action on Monday night for their first game of 2024 in Denver against the Nuggets. 

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