Charlotte Hornets (30-31) beat Portland Trail Blazers (29-32) 109-93 at home on Saturday, February 28 in a low-scoring game: just 202 combined points between the two teams.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets had the better start, winning the first 29-17 to lead by 12 after one. The Trail Blazers cut into the deficit with a 26-22 second quarter, though the Hornets still led by 8 at halftime.
The Trail Blazers won the third 24-23 to stay in front, taking a 7-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 35-26; the Hornets finished the job for a 109-93 regulation win.
What decided it
The Hornets grabbed 41.7% of their own misses, while the Trail Blazers recovered 23.9%. The Hornets made 18.7 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 14 for the Trail Blazers. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 99 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 110.5 points per 100 possessions to 94.2 for the Trail Blazers.
Who made the difference
Jrue Holiday was the game's biggest individual force for POR: 25 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast on 9-16 shooting. His Game Score of 18.7 led everyone.
Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 26 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast on 9-19 shooting, good for a 16.1 Game Score.
Moussa Diabate (13 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 79% chance.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, Portland Trail Blazers lead 2-0.
The Hornets are now 30-31, and the Trail Blazers are 29-32. The Hornets last five before this game: L-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.