Charlotte Hornets (27-31) beat Washington Wizards (16-40) 129-112 on the road on Sunday, February 22, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets struck first, taking the opening quarter 38-37 and a 1-point lead after one. The Hornets kept the pressure on with a 23-19 second quarter, carrying a 5-point lead into halftime.
The Hornets won the third 44-28 to create some separation, taking a 21-point lead into the fourth. The Wizards took the fourth 28-24; the Hornets held on for a 129-112 regulation win.
What decided it
The Hornets grabbed 36.4% of their own misses, while the Wizards recovered 19.6%. The Hornets made 20.7 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 14.3 for the Wizards. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 94 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 137.6 points per 100 possessions to 119.5 for the Wizards.
The Wizards' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 70-25.
Who made the difference
LaMelo Ball was the game's biggest individual force for CHA: 37 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast on 12-20 shooting. His Game Score of 36.1 led everyone. His team was +20 with him on the floor.
Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with 17 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast on 6-9 shooting, good for a 17.1 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 74% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Washington Wizards lead 4-3.
The Hornets are now 27-31, and the Wizards are 16-40. The Hornets last five before this game: W-L-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.