Hornets get an important victory against the Atlanta Hawks. Takeaways from the win
When LaMelo Ball knocked down the game-sealing 3-pointer with 30 seconds left, he held up three fingers and skipped down court.
The crowd cheered loudly.
It was over, and the Hornets picked up one of their biggest wins of the season — a 116-106 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hornets needed this one. They were a half game behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference entering Wednesday. Now they are a half game ahead and return to ninth place.
Ball led the Hornets with 22 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. It was one of his better games this month. He limited his turnovers and gave the Hornets a chance.
The Hornets allowed only 39 points in the second half.
“It was huge for us,” Hornets forward P.J. Washington said. “We should do that every game. If we do that, it’s going to be hard for teams to beat us.”
It was the Hornets third consecutive win.
Here are five takeaways:
P.J. Washington was clutch
Washington made some big shots late in their win. Half of his 16 points came during a 1:08 minute stretch late in the fourth.
From 2:37 left in the fourth to 1:29, made a dunk, a 3-pointer and an “and-1” layup, keeping the Hornets ahead for good as the Hawks tried to make a late game push.
He missed a dunk earlier in the game, but later turned it up.
Washington recently entered the starting lineup with Gordon Hayward’s injury. After two dismal back-to-back six-point performances, he found his groove, driving to the hole and hitting clutch shots.
Washington said he was trying to be aggressive on offense.
“My teammates did a great job of finding me,” he said. “And we did a great job defensively.”
He finished 6 of 10 from the floor and 2 of 4 from the 3-point line.
Montrezl Harrell was a spark off bench
Hands down, the player of the game was Montrezl Harrell. He was the spark that kept the Hornets in the game and gave them a 97-92 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
When Hornets coach James Borrego took him out, the Hornets seemed to lose momentum briefly before re-gaining it.
Harrell was all over the offensive glass, cleaning up misses and putting them back in for dunks and “and-one” fouls. After a bucket, he’d often flex or pound the ball against his head.
He finished with 20 points and six rebounds, four of which were on the offensive glass.
The Hornets need this version of Harrell on a regular basis to boost their bench and for late-game situations.
IT showing he can make an impact
Isaiah Thomas is showing exactly why the Hornets signed him to a second 10-day contract last week. He played brief minutes against the Hawks but made an impact in the little time he played.
Hawks players tried to take advantage of the size disadvantage they had against him, whether that was through a switch or when he was guarding them. Thomas is 5-foot-9, 185 pounds and one of the shortest players in the league, if not the shortest.
But he often held his own on defense. There were multiple times he contested shots and forced a miss.
In the nine minutes he played, he had two points and two assists. He’s also been a veteran mentor for Ball.
Thomas may not be the All-Star he used to be, but he can still make an impact.
Gasp for Plumlee
Mason Plumlee’s struggles this season from the free-throw line have been well-documented by now. He’s shooting 36.4% from the free-throw line this season, a career low.
In the first quarter, he air balled a free throw. In reaction, the crowd let out an collective gasp.
Later that half, Plumlee made a free throw and some in the crowd stood up and cheered. It was one of the loudest cheers of the first half.
Hornets lock down Young
Perhaps the most impressive part of the Hornets’ game was the defense on Young.
Terry Rozier was the primary defender on Young, and he got some help from teammates.
The Hornets often trapped Young and sent double teams his way, making him give up the ball. It was a frustrating night for the young star, who is fourth in the league, averaging 28.3 points per game.
But Rozier never let up.
Young, who scored a season-low nine points, was 0 of 6 from behind the 3-point line and 3 of 12 from the floor overall. He had 15 assists but also had six turnovers.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 9:26 PM.
