Charlotte Hornets (34-33) beat Sacramento Kings (16-51) 117-109 on the road on Wednesday, March 11.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Kings had the better start, winning the first 34-30 to lead by 4 after one. The Hornets cut into the deficit with a 29-28 second quarter, though the Kings still led by 3 at halftime.
The Hornets won the third 31-23 to turn the game around, taking a 5-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 27-24; the Hornets finished the job for a 117-109 regulation win.
What decided it
The Hornets grabbed 32.5% of their own misses, while the Kings recovered 22.2%. The Hornets made 17.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 13.3 for the Kings. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 121.5 points per 100 possessions to 113.2 for the Kings.
Who made the difference
DeMar DeRozan was the game's biggest individual force for SAC: 39 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast on 17-22 shooting. His Game Score of 33.3 led everyone. His team was +3 with him on the floor.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 30 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast on 10-22 shooting, good for a 22.3 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 78% chance.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, Sacramento Kings lead 2-0.
The Hornets are now 34-33, and the Kings are 16-51. The Hornets last five before this game: W-W-L-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.