Grizzlies Hammer Hornets, 131-107
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It wasn't the return Cody Martin envisioned as the Charlotte Hornets closed out their four-game homestand with a 131-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Martin finished the game with four points in 21 minutes of action.
LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier combined to score the first 17 points of the game for the Hornets and went a perfect 4/4 from three to give Charlotte an early lead. That hot start didn't last long as the Grizzlies' defense stepped up and held the Hornets to just 47 points in the first half on 16/50 shooting from the floor.
Already leading by 15, Memphis nearly doubled its lead by the end of the half thanks to a 10-0 run midway through the second and an 8-0 run to close out the quarter. Ja Morant (19 1H points) and Dillon Brooks (15 1H points) had their way driving the ball inside getting bucket after bucket.
Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has talked about the team's unwillingness to get back on defense and attack the boards and that showed up once again Wednesday night. The Hornets were outscored inside 32-16 and 10-2 in transition in the first half alone.
Not much changed in the second half. Memphis continued its dominance on the inside and maintained a 30-point lead for much of the night. With the loss, the Hornets closed out the homestand with a 1-3 record with its only win coming against the Oklahoma City Thunder last Thursday.
Charlotte will now hit the road to begin a four-game road trip, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. EST.
TEAM STATS (ACCUMULATIVE)
1ST: MEM 40-26
MEM: 14/24 FG | 4/9 3FG | 15 REB | 9 AST | 3 TO | 16 PIP
CHA: 7/21 FG | 5/11 3FG | 10 REB | 6 AST | 5 TO | 4 PIP
2ND: MEM 76-47
MEM: 25/47 FG | 6/19 3FG | 34 REB | 14 AST | 4 TO | 32 PIP
CHA: 16/50 FG | 8/23 3FG | 25 REB | 12 AST | 8 TO | 16 PIP
3RD: MEM 102-73
MEM: 36/73 FG | 7/25 3FG | 46 REB | 20 AST | 7 TO | 50 PIP
CHA: 26/72 FG | 9/32 3FG | 36 REB | 18 AST | 10 TO | 34 PIP
4TH: MEM wins 131-107
MEM: 47/94 FG | 9/30 3FG | 59 REB | 28 AST | 14 TO | 64 PIP
CHA: 38/94 FG | 11/38 3FG | 44 REB | 25 AST | 12 TO | 52 PIP
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