Washington Wizards (3-3) beat Charlotte Hornets (3-3) 95-79 at home on Friday, October 30 in a low-scoring game: just 174 combined points between the two teams.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets struck first, taking the opening quarter 26-22 and a 4-point lead after one. The Wizards moved in front with a 29-20 second quarter, carrying a 5-point lead into halftime.
The Wizards won the third 28-13 to create some separation, taking a 20-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 20-16; the Wizards held on for a 95-79 regulation win.
What decided it
The Wizards made 39.7 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 6.9 for the Hornets. The Wizards got more from their shots, finishing at 45.2% effective field-goal shooting compared with 35.6% for the Hornets. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Hornets did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 10.2 against 15. The Wizards made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Wizards produced 99.1 points per 100 possessions to 82.4 for the Hornets.
Who made the difference
Trae Young was the game's biggest individual force for WAS: 21 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast on 4-9 shooting. His Game Score of 22.6 led everyone. His team was +13 with him on the floor.
Moussa Diabate led the Hornets with 10 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast on 5-11 shooting, good for a 11.2 Game Score.
Anthony Davis (25 pts, 13 reb, 1 ast), Naz Reid (12 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast), and Moussa Diabate (10 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Wizards entered with about a 28% chance.
Across the last 9 meetings in our records, Charlotte Hornets lead 5-4.
The Wizards are now 3-3, and the Hornets are 3-3. The Wizards 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.