PJ Washington’s big game not enough in Hornets’ loss to Kings
For most of Monday night, it seemed as if the game went as PJ Washington did.
He was the team’s source of offense during the Charlotte Hornets’ first-half clinic. He was the team’s answer on two different occasions in the fourth quarter — the first an off-balance layup after stumbling by Harrison Barnes on a drive from the top of the key, the second a corner 3 to pull the game within three with 4:08 left to play.
But despite dropping a game-best 28 points — the first time he’s notched back-to-back 25-plus performances in his career — Washington’s injections of life weren’t quite enough. The Sacramento Kings came back from a 67-52 halftime deficit to stun the Halloween-spirited Spectrum Center with a 113-108 win against the Hornets.
The Hornets’ downfall on Monday came thanks to the struggles that this young but promising team has been battling not only through its 3-4 start — but through the past few years.
Charlotte ended with 20 turnovers, the costliest of which came with the team down three with 42.8 seconds left after Mason Plumlee collected a rebound and headed up-court before the ball was poked away from him from behind.
The Hornets, too, struggled defending inside — resorting to a flurry of fouls that stunted the game’s flow — and also couldn’t quite figure out how to get going once things derailed in the third quarter. For as close of a game it was, there were only three lead changes: Charlotte led for three quarters, but then the Kings made a big run and rarely looked vulnerable thereafter.
There was an undeniable bright spot in the home locker room, though: PJ Washington.
“He kept us in the game,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s a tough matchup, and he did it a number of different ways. Not only did he score, but we were also playing through him as a passer in that stretch. He played terrific and got us back into the game.”
Washington, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound power forward who can score from anywhere, played 40 minutes and finished with 31 points in the Hornets’ statement-of-a-win against the Warriors this past weekend. Another indicator that he might’ve played well tonight: He notched his career-high 42 points against the Kings in February 2021.
“I guess shots just fall when I play against them,” Washington said with a shrug. “Just gotta continue to be aggressive.”
Said Clifford: “The nice thing was that he did it a lot of different ways; one-on-one, some pick-and-rolls. He also, like I said, we were playing through him as a playmaker.”
Here’s what else you need to know from Monday night.
Turnovers, costly third quarter cost Hornets
Clifford said the third-quarter woes didn’t start in the third quarter. He could see them coming from a while away — even if Charlotte’s late, second-quarter push briefly masked its vulnerabilities up on the scoreboard.
“I thought it was really more so the last four minutes of the second quarter,” Clifford said. “We had a little run there at the end, but they had really increased their ball pressure, gotten into us more. We were struggling to score. Then we had the one little flurry at the end of the first half where we were ahead but they had taken control of the game there. And then in the third quarter it was just a combination of the turnovers, many of which were unforced, and the fouling, which, you’re not going to win fouling like that.”
He added: “Every drive we fouled. Every time we had a chance to either make a smart play and contest or slap down, we slapped down. You just can’t win like that. We probably gifted them 10 to 12 free throws tonight.”
The Kings finished going 24-of-28 from the free-throw line. The Hornets went 8-of-14.
Jalen McDaniels another positive result
Jalen McDaniels came in and provided instant life on Monday. The lanky 6-foot-9 guard scored eight points within his first few minutes of seeing the court in the first quarter — and he finished as one of six Hornets in double figures with 13 points.
“It felt good,” McDaniels said when asked about the scoring spark he provided upon entering the game. He smiled, “Honestly the first one I didn’t expect. I just got in the game and shot it. It went in so I was like, ‘Alright.’ And then another went in. Just got to stick with it and stay level headed.”
He also notched two steals and caused a few other turnovers on Monday (at least two of which came from a Kings defender moving into him and crushing him on a moving screen). He’d pop out from anywhere to slap the ball away — kind of like his backcourt mate Dennis Smith Jr., who finished with six steals.
No update on Lamelo Ball, Terry Rozier
When asked, Clifford didn’t have an update on his trio of injured guards: LaMelo Ball was labeled as “out” heading into Monday’s contest, still ailing from an ankle injury he sustained in the preseason. And Terry Rozier (ankle) and Cody Martin (quad) were labeled doubtful.
“I mean, they’re closer, and they’re able to do stuff on the court now,” Clifford said. “But obviously what we don’t wanna do is something when they come back prematurely, and then it’s worse the next time.”
Another homecoming in the Carolinas
All three home games in the Spectrum Center have resulted in significant homecomings. The home-opener against the Pelicans welcomed Zion Williamson back to his home state and Devonte Graham his former team. The second home game featured the return of Stephen Curry, the Charlotte product and newly Davidson graduate. And the third — tonight — featured the return of former Hornet guard Malik Monk and North Carolina Tar Heel Harrison Barnes.
Who’s next?
The Hornets hit the road to take on the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 11:14 PM with the headline "PJ Washington’s big game not enough in Hornets’ loss to Kings."
