Hornets Blitz Spurs & Set Franchise Records in Season Opening Win
SAN ANTONIO, TX - No LaMelo, no problem? Well, not necessarily, but the Charlotte Hornets were able to defeat the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night without him, 129-102.
Steve Clifford could not have drawn up a better start to the game as the Hornets came out of the gates red hot jumping out to an 18-7 lead just three and a half minutes into the game. The Hornets made eight of their first twelve shots from the field and took advantage of San Antonio's sloppiness, scoring 13 points off of seven turnovers.
The Spurs chipped away at the lead as a Joshua Primo floater made it a 26-22 game. That would be as close as they would get for the remainder of the night. Charlotte ended the opening quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 38-22 lead. The 38-point outburst is the highest scoring first quarter on an opening night in franchise history.
Kelly Oubre Jr. was a nice surprise on the defensive end of the floor, an area he put a lot of emphasis on this offseason, recording three steals in the early going. He finished the first half with ten points, doing all of his work inside the three-point line.
An even bigger surprise? Nick Richards producing off the bench posting 12 points and six rebounds in just eleven minutes of action through two quarters. He was one of four Hornets to reach double figures in the first half: Terry Rozier - 13, Gordon Hayward -11, and Kelly Oubre Jr. - 10.
Charlotte led 68-47 at the half. And yes, those 68 points set a Hornets franchise record for the most points in a first half of a season opener.
San Antonio made things interesting midway through the third quarter as they went on a 13-2 run which was engineered by Keldon Johnson who had eight consecutive points, including back-to-back threes to cut the lead to just 12. Much like the first quarter, the Hornets didn't panic when the Spurs found some momentum. They ended the frame on a 13-0 run with seven of those points coming from Dennis Smith Jr.
Charlotte saw their lead balloon to 34 and emptied the bench, giving Bryce McGowens and Mark Williams their first taste of the NBA. Williams collected his first points by sinking a pair of free throws while McGowens went 0/1 from the field. Prior to giving the young bucks some run, Nick Richards notched his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 boards.
The 27-point win is the largest win in a season opener in the organization's history.
The Hornets will return to the Queen City for their home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcasted on Bally Sports Southeast.
STAT LEADERS
Terry Rozier - 24 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast
Gordon Hayward - 20 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast
Nick Richards - 19 pts, 10 reb
PJ Washington - 17 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast
Kelly Oubre Jr. - 13 pts, 4 rebs, 2 ast
Dennis Smith Jr. - 12 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast
QTR BY QTR STATS
1ST: CHA led 38-22
CHA: 16/29 FG | 2/3 3FG | 12 REB | 8 AST | 1 TOs | 22 PIP
SA: 9/23 FG | 2/11 3FG | 13 REB | 3 AST | 7 TOs | 12 PIP
2ND: CHA led 68-47
CHA: 11/26 FG | 3/9 3FG | 15 REB | 6 AST | 3 TOs | 14 PIP
SA: 10/24 FG | 0/5 3FG | 12 REB | 7 AST | 4 TOs | 18 PIP
3RD: CHA led 98-75
CHA: 10/19 FG | 3/6 3FG | 15 REB | 4 AST | 6 TOs | 8 PIP
SA: 11/29 FG | 4/11 3FG | 9 REB | 6 AST | 1 TOs | 10 PIP
4TH: CHA wins 129-102
CHA: 11/ 20 FG | 5/11 3FG | 9 REB | 8 AST | 5 TOs | 10 PIP
SA: 10/23 FG | 1/7 3FG | 10 REB | 5 AST | 3 TOs | 18 PIP
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