LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges put up big numbers in Charlotte’s loss to Golden State
LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges combined for more than 50 points Monday night at Spectrum Center, but it wasn’t enough to derail the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors beat the Hornets 119-101 for their eighth win in the last 10 games, while Charlotte saw its losing streak grow to seven.
Bridges finished with 35 points, Ball posted a 25-point night and Mark Williams added a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds — but Golden State pulled away throughout the fourth quarter, ballooning its lead to as many as 19 points.
“I felt a little sluggish,” Ball, who also turned the ball over a team-high six times Monday, said in the postgame news conference. “I don’t think I did well. A lot of turnovers. I had a horrible game. ... I don’t think I played well. We didn’t win, so I don’t see no positives.”
The Hornets (14-46), who rank 28th of 30 NBA teams in averaging 105.1 points per game, fell behind early but kept their deficit within reach until late.
Steph Curry, who donned a classic Davidson College pullover as he walked into his hometown’s NBA arena, put up 21 points through three quarters for the Warriors (33-28), finishing second among Golden State scorers behind Buddy Hield’s team-best 22 points.
This latest Charlotte home swing comes after the team had recently been away for nearly a month. Its nine-game road trip included a lopsided loss to Golden State in San Francisco, and while the Warriors’ annual stop in their superstar’s hometown drew 19,223, the Hornets couldn’t ride the sold-out crowd’s momentum to victory.
“I feel good, wish we would have still gotten the win,” said Bridges, who grabbed nine rebounds to go with his second-highest scoring output of the season. “It’s always fun playing against guys you watch when you’re younger.
“Let’s get some wins. Get better day by day, daily improvement, that’s our main thing. We just want to get some wins for the home crowd.”
Josh Okogie returns to practice floor, will be re-evaluated
The Hornets’ recently-acquired small forward is inching closer to his return.
Josh Okogie, whose strained left hamstring has sidelined him since Jan. 31, started individual on-court workouts and will be reevaluated in two weeks, Charlotte announced Monday afternoon.
The 26-year-old Nigerian-born and Georgia-raised player had put up at least 16 points in two of his seven games since coming to the Hornets via trade from the Phoenix Suns, including a double-double in which he also added 10 rebounds, before sustaining his injury.
“Huge boost,” head coach Charles Lee said. “I think that (Okogie) adds to the spirit of our team, because he plays with such passion and energy. It becomes contagious with your team. You have a lot of just passionate guys out there on the floor doing whatever it takes to compete and impact winning.
“I think that we saw some of his defensive prowess and, offensively, another guy who’s just been in the league awhile and understands what his strengths are and how his strengths play well with some of the other guys around him as well. So look forward to hopefully getting him back, whenever that may be as he continues his return to play.”
Lee is a ‘hell of a coach’
Steve Kerr is complimentary of the Hornets’ first-year leader.
The head coach of the Golden State Warriors and the U.S. men’s national basketball team said he’s been impressed with the job Lee has done in Charlotte this season. Kerr previously worked with Lee on a recent summer basketball trip, and he’s happy to see him in this role.
“Charles (Lee) is a really good coach,” Kerr said Monday. “You can see it watching their games. Everyone is competing. … And I know Charles a bit — we were on a Basketball Without Borders trip to Egypt a couple summers ago. Just an awesome guy, and I’m really happy for him that he has this job. Obviously a tough go this year with the injuries, but he’s a hell of a coach.”
What’s next for Charlotte?
The Hornets continue their five-game homestand at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by back-to-back games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets on Friday and Saturday in Uptown Charlotte.
This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 10:08 PM.
