Hornets Defeat Wizards in Regular Season Finale

The Hornets finish the season with a 43-39 record.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Early Sunday evening, the Charlotte Hornets capped off the 2021-22 regular season with a 124-108 win over the Washington Wizards. 

It was an inauspicious start for the Hornets as they looked flat out of the gate and allowed the Wizards to pound the ball nearly every trip up the floor. Deni Avdija had the first six points of the game for Washington and had ten in the opening quarter. Charlotte continuously failed to get a body on him or shade his direction in the halfcourt. 

Finally, the Hornets took their first lead of the game, 30-27, thanks to a LaMelo Ball three at the 1:45 mark. Ball had 11 points, six assists, and four rebounds at the break but had seven turnovers. One of those came on a pass that he caught in the corner setting up for a three-point shot. This has been a reoccurring issue for the 20-year-old this season. Educating his feet in the corner will be something he will need to work on during the offseason. That said, you can live with those turnovers. It's the turnovers where he makes the pass more difficult to complete than it should by adding some flash to it. 

Following back-to-back turnovers, head coach James Borrego quickly called for a timeout out of frustration to calm things down. The Hornets were able to stay on top by holding a 56-54 lead at the half. 

After not playing a single minute in the first half, veteran backup guard Isaiah Thomas took over recording 14 points in the third quarter. Ball only saw four minutes of action. Fellow guard Terry Rozier got in on the action in the fourth, helping the Hornets to a 18-4 run to push their lead to 111-94. 

The three-ball was falling for the Hornets in the fourth as they shot 7/11 as a team. Terry Rozier went for 18 points in the quarter, including a perfect 4/4 from three. 

BOX SCORE

WAS: 29-25-28-26-108

CHA: 32-24-33-35-124

TEAM STATS (ACCUMULATIVE)

1st

WAS: 13/24 FG | 2/9 3FG | 12 REB | 18 PIP | 0 TOs

CHA: 13/28 FG | 3/8 3FG | 14 REB | 20 PIP | 3 TOs

2nd

WAS: 22/44 FG | 4/14 3FG | 18 REB | 32 PIP | 4 TOs

CHA: 24/47 FG | 5/13 3FG | 28 REB | 38 PIP | 10 TOs

3rd

WAS: 33/68 FG | 5/18 3FG | 33 REB | 46 PIP | 6 TOs

CHA: 35/69 FG | 11/22 3FG | 37 REB | 48 PIP | 12 TOs

4th

WAS: 42/94 FG | 8/23 3FG | 43 REB | 56 PIP | 10 TOs

CHA: 48/89 FG | 18/33 3FG | 48 REB | 58 PIP | 17 TOs

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us Twitter:

Facebook - All Hornets

Twitter - @SI_Hornets and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.