The Portland Trail Blazers saw a classic night from star point guard Damian Lillard on Sunday . Lillard scored a whopping 49 points , shooting 14 - of - 21 from the field and 12 - of - 12 from the free - throw line . Lillard shot 9 - of - 12 from beyond the arc as well . Recently acquired big man Jusuf Nurkic also had a big night , going for 21 points along with 12 rebounds . Six of those rebounds came on the offensive end , and Nurkic also blocked three shots on the night . Guard C.J . McCollum also impressed , scoring 18 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists . For the Heat , center Hassan Whiteside was fairly impressive . Whiteside had 17 points to go with 10 rebounds , two steals , and three blocks . However , Whiteside had foul trouble , ending the night with five personals . Sixth man James Johnson came off the bench for 24 points , seven rebounds , and five assists .

The visiting Portland Trail Blazers took down the Miami Heat on Sunday , 115 - 114 . Portland ( 32 - 37 ) is now 8 - 3 in its last 11 games as it fights for the eighth seed in a still - open Western Conference . Leading the Blazers to take down the Heat was star point guard Damian Lillard , who dominated throughout with a season - high 49 points . Lillard went an astounding 14 - of - 21 from the field , including 9 - of - 12 from three - point range , and 12 - of - 12 from the free - throw line . Trade deadline acquisition Jusuf Nurkic also impressed , scoring 21 points to go along with 12 rebounds , six of which came on the offensive end . Nurkic also blocked three shots . All in all , the Blazers appeared to have found their stride as the race for the playoff race has heated up . Miami ( 34 - 36 ) has been one of the hottest teams in the league , but fell down to ninth place with the loss to Portland . Defense was a major problem for the Heat , as they allowed the Blazers to shoot over 50 percent and hit 13 - of - 26 from three - point range . While center Hassan Whiteside blocked three shots and had two steals , he had major issues on the defensive end , as he picked up five personal fouls . Off the bench , the Heat saw the majority of their offensive output . Sixth man James Johnson poured in a team - high 24 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists . On Tuesday , Miami will host the Suns , while Portland will host the Bucks .


These are two teams going in opposite directions and a dominating Miami win shows just which way . The key for the Heat was their rebounding , as they won that battle , 51 - 40 . The assist margin really killed the Suns , as they committed 24 turnovers , while forcing just 15 from the Heat . Marquese Chriss led the Way for Phoenix , as he amassed 24 points and seven rebounds on 7 - of - 9 from the field . Alex Len recorded a double - double , totaling 12 points , 11 rebounds and four blocks . Hassan Whiteside was the player of the game , as he accrued 23 points , 14 rebounds , three steals and two blocks . Goran Dragic finished with 16 points , four rebounds , two assists and two steals . Tyler Johnson was a huge spark off the bench , providing 17 points , six rebounds , four assists and five steals .

The Miami Heat defeated the Phoenix Suns , 112 - 97 , at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday . Miami were expected to win this game easily and they left no doubt with a dominating second half . In fact , the Heat won the two middle quarters , 61 - 37 , while the Suns could never get within double - digits in the second half . Rebounding was a huge factor , with Miami winning that battle , 51 - 40 . They also destroyed the Suns through three - point shooting , as the Heat hit 11 - of - 27 , while Phoenix went just 4 - of - 16 from long range . A 24 - 15 turnover margin really killed the Suns as well , with the Heat recording 13 steals . The Suns ( 22 - 49 ) have now lost five - straight games , as they continue to look forward to the offseason . Devin Booker really struggled , as he tallied 11 points , four rebounds and five assists , but committed seven turnovers on 4 - of - 16 shooting . Marquese Chris led the team in scoring , amassing 24 points and seven rebounds on 7 - of - 9 from the field . Alex Len recorded a double - double , totaling 12 points , 11 rebounds and four blocks . Phoenix has a decent chance to snap this slide in their next game , as they take on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday . The Heat ( 35 - 36 ) have now won 24 of their last 30 games , as Miami have become one of the most dangerous teams in the league . Hassan Whiteside led the way for Miami , as he accumulated 23 points , 14 rebounds , three steals and two blocks . Goran Dragic finished second among starters , picking up 16 points , four rebounds , two assists and two steals . Tyler Johnson was huge off the bench , providing 17 points , six rebounds , four assists and five steals . The Heat will look to keep rolling on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors .


While DeMar DeRozan is easily having the best offensive season of his eight - year NBA career , Thursday 's performance marked the first time this season where the All-Star shooting guard had back - to - back games with at least 40 points . DeRozan followed up 42 points on 17 - of - 38 shooting from the field in Tuesday 's comeback victory against the Bulls with 40 points on an even more efficient 14 - of - 25 shooting from the field in Thursday 's blowout victory over the Heat . And while it may have been the first time DeRozan had back - to - back 40 - point games this season , 40 - point games have not necessarily been a rarity for him , with Thursday 's performance serving as his sixth such performance of the year . This comes after a 2015 - 16 campaign where DeRozan did n't have a single 40 - point performance throughout the season , with his season - high being 38 points .

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Miami Heat 101 - 84 Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena . The Heat ( 35 - 37 ) got off to a strong start on both sides of the ball , as they opened up a 10 - point lead in the first quarter . From that point , however , it was all Raptors ( 43 - 29 ) . Over the course of the next three quarters , Toronto outscored Miami by 27 points thanks in large part to the tremendous play of All-Star DeMar DeRozan , who scored a game - high 40 points on 14 - of - 25 shooting from the field . DeRozan was the only starter to score in double figures for the Raptors , but the team 's bench managed to come up with an important 36 points , led by 14 points from Norman Powell and 13 from Delon Wright . As for the Heat , six different players managed to score in double figures , but they failed to get a standout performance to counter that of DeRozan 's in some way . Hassan Whiteside ended up leading the way with a team - high 16 points and 14 rebounds , but no other Miami player scored more than 13 points . The poor offensive play was contagious across the board , as the team shot just 39 percent from the field and 26 percent from behind the arc in Thursday 's contest . It was a crucial loss for the Heat , as they now hold just a one - game advantage over both the Bulls and Pistons for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference .


The New York Knicks defeated the host Miami Heat , 98 - 94 , at American Airlines Arena on Friday evening . Despite playing without Carmelo Anthony ( lower back ) , Derrick Rose ( knee ) , or Lance Thomas ( hip ) , the Knicks ( 29 - 47 ) managed to steal one from one of the hottest teams in the league . The Heat ( 37 - 39 ) started out with a 33 - 29 first quarter and stayed with it the whole way , holding the Heat off in the final minutes , as they made a strong push . The Heat had a chance to tie it up with just 12 seconds remaining , however they were called for offensive basket interference on the play , costing them the game . Kristaps Porzingis led the way for the Knicks , with 22 points on 10 - of - 18 shooting , seven rebounds , three assists and a block , in 36 minutes . Courtney Lee followed up with 20 points , while Justin Holiday added 12 off the bench . Willy Hernangomez finished with 10 points 12 rebounds . Ron Baker also chipped in 10 points , and dished six assists , with only one turnover , as he got the start at the point . The Knicks have been eliminated from playoff contention , but this win is a good confidence booster for some of the young guys . They go on play host to the Celtics on Sunday . Meanwhile , the Heat shot only 41 percent from the field , including 24 percent from long range , as they could not find their rhythm against the feisty Knicks . Goran Dragic led the Heat with 22 points and five assists . Hassan Whiteside followed up with 17 points and 16 rebounds , while Tyler Johnson added 15 points off the bench . James Johnson shot only 3 - of - 10 from the field , on his way to 12 points , in 27 minutes off the bench . The Heat will have to look to their next contest on Sunday , when they play host to the Nuggets , to solidify their spot in the top eight .


The visiting Denver Nuggets brought down another playoff hungry team , the Miami Heat , on Sunday , 116 - 113 . Denver ( 36 - 40 ) now sits only two games out of the playoffs thanks to the win on Sunday . Sophomore big man Nikola Jokic helped the team take down Miami , as he had 19 points to go along with a team - high 10 rebounds and seven assists . Despite only hitting five three - pointers , the Nuggets had an excellent offensive night , as the team shot almost 51 percent from the field and dished out 25 team assists . Forward Danilo Gallinari also had a big night , scoring a team - high 29 points and coming down with five rebounds . Miami ( 37 - 40 ) is fighting for a playoff spot and is now 5 - 6 in its last 10 matchups . The team had a strong night on the offensive end , shooting almost 49 percent and sinking 13 three - pointers on the night . The Heat also dished out 26 assists on the night . Five players scored in double - digits on the night , and point guard Goran Dragic led the team with 22 points . However , the team finished out the night with a loss and trailed for most of the night . The Nuggets will visit New Orleans on Tuesday , while the Heat will visit Charlotte on Wednesday .


The Miami Heat defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers , 124 - 121 , in overtime at American Airlines Arena on Monday . These are two teams on different ends of the playoff spectrum , as they left it all on the floor in this overtime thriller . It took a big comeback for Miami to send this one into overtime , as they overcame an 11 - point deficit in the fourth quarter to send it to an extra session . Tyler Johnson was the hero , as he hit four - straight free - throws in the final minute of OT to take the lead and eventually win . There were nine ties and 15 lead changes in total in this overtime thriller . The assist - to - turnover ratio was the key for Miami , as they recorded nine more assists than Cleveland , while committing eight less turnovers . The Heat also dominated down low , outscoring the Cavaliers in the paint , 50 - 32 . The Cavaliers ( 51 - 30 ) had to play this game without LeBron James and Kyrie Irving , but their secondary players put in a monster effort . Deron Williams was spectacular in a fill - in role , accumulating 35 points , seven rebounds and nine assists . Kevin Love totaled 25 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in overtime . Channing Frye started and amassed 21 points and seven rebounds . Kyle Korver was the only bench player with more than four points , as he dropped 18 points and eight boards . Cleveland 's final game will be on Wednesday , when they host the Toronto Raptors . The Heat ( 40 - 41 ) needed to win this game keep to their playoff hopes alive and they pulled out this nail biter to live another day . Tyler Johnson led the way for Miami , as he provided 24 points , five rebounds and four assists off the bench . Hassan Whiteside was equally as good , accruing 21 points , 18 rebounds and two blocks . James Johnson collected 16 points and nine assists , while Josh Richardson totaled 19 points , six rebounds , four assists and five steals . Miami 's final game will be on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards .


The Miami Heat defeated the Washington Wizards , 110 - 102 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday . Miami needed a win here and some help to reach the postseason and they did their portion , but still missed out due to a Chicago win . The middle quarters were key for Miami , as they outscored Washington , 68 - 50 . Rebounding is what carried the Heat to a victory , as they outrebounded the Wizards , 51 - 34 . It was n't just the rebounding , as they also outscored Washington in the paint , 60 - 46 . The Wizards ( 49 - 33 ) were locked into the four - seed in the east prior to this game , so this loss is far from an issue for this title contender . Trey Burke led the way for Washington , as he provided 27 points on 10 - of - 13 shooting off the bench . Marcin Gortat led the starters , as he totaled 16 points and five rebounds . Sheldon McClellan played well off the bench too , dropping 18 points in a career - high 34 minutes . The Heat ( 41 - 41 ) did an amazing job of getting back to .500 , but they fell just short of a playoff berth . In fact , they finished the season on a 30 - 11 run to tie for the eight - seed in the east , but they fell shy due to a tiebreaker to the Chicago Bulls . Goran Dragic led the way for Miami , as he accrued 28 points , four rebounds and five assists . Hassan Whiteside amassed 24 points and 18 rebounds . James Johnson flirted with a triple - double , collecting 12 points , eight rebounds and eight assists .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 104 - 98 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday . Avery Bradley has long been renowned for his stingy defense and known as more of a complementary presence on the offensive side . It was vastly different story Saturday , however , as the veteran guard exploded for 31 points and a career - high 11 rebounds . The scoring total largely consisted of a personal - best eight three - pointers , and he and backcourt mate Isaiah Thomas combined for over half of Boston 's points on the night . They also helped the Celtics ( 2 - 1 ) tally a 48 percent success rate from the field , including a 48 percent figure from beyond the arc , with the latter number nearly doubling the Hornets ' ( 2 - 1 ) number . Bradley added four assists and a steal to his stellar stat line . Thomas contributed 24 points and added seven assists and a rebound . Al Horford supplied 14 points , four boards , three assists , two blocks and a steal , while Jae Crowder 's full stat line included nine points , nine rebounds , four assists , three blocks and two steals . Kemba Walker once again served as the linchpin of the Charlotte attack , which has been decidedly top - heavy so far this season . He posted 29 points , three assists , two rebounds and three steals . Nicolas Batum had his hands full all night on defense with Bradley and totaled a modest 12 points of his own , along with six assists , four rebounds and a pair of blocks . No other starter managed double - digit scoring , although Cody Zeller , starting at center , did haul in nine rebounds . Frank Kaminsky III paced the bench with 11 points . The Celtics head back home to take on the Bulls on Wednesday , while the Hornets face off with the Sixers in a home tilt Wednesday as well .

Avery Bradley shed his defense - first label Saturday , collecting 31 points and setting career highs with 11 rebounds and eight three - pointers in a win against the Hornets . He and backcourt mate Isaiah Thomas were thorns in the Hornets ' side all night , combining for 55 points on 51 percent ( 20 - for - 39 ) shooting with 10 three - pointers overall . Boston 's collective 48 and 48 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively , keyed a hard - fought victory that included a 33 - point fourth quarter by the Celtics . Charlotte 's offensive attack continues to inordinately rely on Kemba Walker , who has 53 points over the last two games . As was the case Friday versus the Heat , Nicolas Batum was the only other member of the first unit besides Walker to tally a double - digit point total , with the other three starters shooting a combined 7 - for - 19 from the field .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers , 109 - 93 , at Spectrum Center on Wednesday . As was the case Tuesday against the Magic , Philadelphia ( 0 - 4 ) put together a strong first half that resulted in a halftime advantage . However , as Orlando had done a night prior , the Hornets ( 3 - 1 ) came storming out of the locker room for the third period and quickly erased the 53 - 46 deficit they 'd reached intermission with . They outscored the Sixers by a margin of 39 - 20 over the next 12 minutes , establishing enough of a cushion to keep the visitors at bay in the fourth . Charlotte established a particular advantage with their overall shooting , as they outperformed Philadelphia by a near - 10 percent margin ( 49 to 40 ) from the field . The Sixers once again received a strong effort from third - year man Dario Saric , who co - led the team with 14 points , which he complemented with seven rebounds , an assist and a steal . Newcomer Ersan Ilyasova , just traded to Philadelphia from Oklahoma City , made a splash in his debut with a 14 - point effort himself from the bench over 23 minutes . Gerald Henderson and Richaun Holmes turned in a pair of 11 - point efforts , with the latter getting the start at center in place of the resting Joel Embiid and ahead of Jahlil Okafor . Sergio Rodriguez continued his solid play with 10 points , five assists , three rebounds and a block . Okafor checked in second on the reserves with 12 points , five boards , an assist and a steal . As usual , the Hornets were paced by Kemba Walker , who totaled 22 points , seven assists and four boards . Backcourt mate Nicolas Batum was right behind with 20 points , seven rebounds , four assists and a steal . Combined , the two guards went 14 - of - 29 from the field and 6 - of - 15 from beyond the arc . Cody Zeller received another start with Roy Hibbert still sidelined with a knee injury and tallied 13 points , a rebound and a block . Marvin Williams supplied 11 points , eight rebounds , an assist and a pair of steals while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist mustered a modest six points but brought down 13 boards , dished out an assist , recorded three steals and also had one block . Frank Kaminsky III , getting some extra run as well due to Hibbert 's absence , led the bench with 14 points , five rebounds , an assist and a steal , while Marco Belinelli went for 11 points , three rebounds and a pair of dimes in a reserve role as well . Philadelphia heads back home to face off with the defending champion Cavaliers on Saturday night , while the Hornets head up north to Brooklyn to tangle with the Nets on Friday evening .

The Hornets entered intermission on the wrong side of a 53 - 46 score , but their 39 - point surge in the third quarter essentially put the game out of reach . The backcourt duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum combined for 42 points on 14 - of - 29 shooting from the field , and Charlotte shot 49 percent overall from the field . Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky III also combined for 27 points in the absence of Roy Hibbert ( knee ) . Richaun Holmes and Jahlil Okafor helped fill in for the resting Joel Embiid on Wednesday , combining for 23 points , although Philadelphia was nevertheless outrebounded by a 44 - 37 margin overall . Ersan Ilyasova provided a spark in his first game in a Sixers uniform with 14 points off the bench , but the visitors still managed just a 40 percent success rate from the field .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Indiana Pacers , 122 - 100 , at Spectrum Center on Monday . The Hornets ( 5 - 1 ) improved their sterling start to the season with a blowout win against the strong conference opponent in the Pacers ( 3 - 4 ) . The win extends Charlotte 's streak to three games , but they did suffer a setback after Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left the game twice with back soreness . Kidd-Gilchrist returned to the floor after halftime , but his back flared up again and he 'll now be questionable heading into Wednesday 's contest against the Jazz . While the injury did not help the Hornets , it also had little impact on the outcome . Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams had the hot hand in the first quarter , as they both powered their team to an early 18 - point lead with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter . Paul George and C.J . Miles aided the Pacers in cutting that lead to nine points by the end of the first quarter , but Charlotte got back into their groove after pulling away by another 18 - point margin halfway through the second quarter . The story remained the same for the second half , as the Hornets spread the ball , and the scoring efforts , across nine different players . The Hornets saw nine players scoring in double figures on Monday , with Kemba Walker leading the way . The Charlotte point guard finished with 24 points , 10 assists , two rebounds , two steals and one block in an all around fantastic performance that included 7 - of - 11 shooting from the field . Walker buried five three pointers in the win to go along with his game leading stats . Before exiting , Kidd-Gilchrist was a perfect 4 - of - 4 from the field with 13 points , one board and one assist , while Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller pitched in with a combined 25 points and nine rebounds . The Pacers ( 3 - 4 ) simply could not get enough offense moving to match the Hornets pace , and have yet to pick up a win on the road . Paul George finished with 10 points , six assists and seven rebounds , while C.J . Miles had a standout performance off the bench with 23 points in 25 minutes . Both teams play at home on Wednesday , as the Pacers host the Philadelphia 76ers , while the Hornets welcome the Utah Jazz .

The Charlotte Hornets spread the ball around in impressive fashion , with almost every one of their players in the rotation getting a fair share of minutes and shots on Monday . Nine players finished in double figures , led by Kemba Walker 's all - around impressive performance . Walker finished with 24 points , 10 assists , two rebounds , two steals and one block on 7 - of - 11 shooting . The UConn product was also lethal from behind the arc , as he buried 5 - of - 6 shots from three - point territory , helping extend the Hornets ' double - digit lead in the second half . While many of the Hornets players had standout performances alongside Walker , Spencer Hawes ' 13 points and 13 rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench was most noteworthy , especially with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist exiting the game twice with back soreness . Before exiting , Kidd-Gilchrist pitched in 13 points on a perfect 4 - of - 4 shooting .


The host Charlotte Hornets defeated the Utah Jazz 104 - 98 at Spectrum Center on Wednesday . In a battle between two defensive - minded teams , there was n't much to differentiate the two in the box score . Both teams went exactly 38 - of - 82 from the field and they both hit eight three - pointers in the tightly contested battle . The key for Charlotte was their bench , as they got 41 points from their four bench players to the 20 points from Utah 's five bench players . There were 10 lead changes and eight ties , as the Hornets pulled away late . Utah actually led this game for over 30 minutes , but the beginning of the first quarter and end of the fourth helped Charlotte escape with a win . A 12 - 3 run in the middle of the fourth is when the Hornets put their stamp on their win . Utah ( 5 - 4 ) continues to play well , but they could n't quite pull out a road upset against one of the best teams in the league here . Gordon Hayward played great yet again , as he led the team with 29 points , seven rebounds and four assists . Rodney Hood was second on the team , with his 20 points , four rebounds and four assists . Derrick Favors recorded a double - double , as he totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds in a season - high 34 minutes . Utah will travel to Orlando on Friday to face the Magic for their next game . Charlotte ( 6 - 1 ) is establishing themselves as an elite team right now and wins like this only improve their stock . Kemba Walker carried the load , as he accumulated 21 points , five rebounds , six assists and four steals in the win . Marvin Williams fell two rebounds shy of a double - double with his 19 points and eight boards . Marco Belinelli , Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes each scored in double figures off the bench , as they combined for 36 points . The Hornets will look to keep things rolling on Friday , as they host the Toronto Raptors for their next game .

There was very little to differentiate these teams before the game and that proved to be the case in the box score . Both teams shot exactly 46 percent from the field , as they each went 38 - of - 82 . They also tied in assists and nearly matched each other in points in the paint and defensive rebounds . Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward were both out of the lineup to start the season , but they carried the load in this game . The two combined for 49 points , 11 rebounds and nine assists in the defeat . Shelvin Mack started for the injured George Hill and shot just 3 - of - 11 from the field in a six - point , five - assist outing . Despite not having anyone score more than 21 points , Charlotte had six players score in double figures to pull out their win . Kemba Walker continues to improve , as he stuffed the stat sheet with his 21 points , five rebounds six assists and four steals . They got their win with Nicolas Batum mightily struggling , as he tallied just nine points and five assists on 3 - of - 10 shooting .


The Toronto Raptors defeated the host Charlotte Hornets 113 - 111 at Spectrum Center on Friday . There are n't many teams in the Eastern Conference playing up to the standards of the Hornets and Raptors and they left it all on the floor on Friday . While there were only four ties and five lead changes , there were some serious swings . In fact , the Raptors won the second quarter 30 - 17 , with the Hornets firing back with a 38 - 21 third quarter . Charlotte actually led this game 91 - 81 with nine minutes left , but Toronto responded with a 28 - 11 run over the next seven - plus minutes to pull away . Defense was key for the Raptors , as they held the Hornets to 41 percent from the field . In addition , they won the turnover battle 12 - 5 and the steal differential 8 - 1 . The Raptors ( 6 - 2 ) continue to fly under the radar and they may have pulled out their biggest win of the season against the Hornets here . DeMar DeRozan continued his torrid scoring , as he led the team with 34 points , three rebounds and three assists . Kyle Lowry was second on the team , as he tallied 19 points , eight rebounds and six assists . DeMarre Carroll , Jonas Valanciunas , Cory Joseph and Lucas Nogueira all scored between 10 and 12 in the Raptors win . Toronto will return to action on Saturday , as they host the New York Knicks for their next game . The Hornets ( 6 - 2 ) got some great efforts from their stud players , but fell just short when it mattered the most . Kemba Walker did n't let up though , as he scored a season - high 40 points on 12 - of - 19 shooting . Walker also provided 10 rebounds and six assists with his 40 - spot in the defeat . Nicolas Batum recorded a double - double as well , totaling 18 points , 10 rebounds and six assists . Marvin Williams finished the game with 10 points and 13 rebounds of his own . It does n't get any easier for the Hornets , as they travel to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday for their next game .

This result put the Raptors and Hornets at an even 6 - 2 record and these are two teams that will be in it for the long haul . DeMar DeRozan 's 34 points marked the seventh game this season in which DeRozan has scored at least 32 points . Kyle Lowry is n't quite scoring like he 'd hope , but he continues to stuff the stat sheet with his 19 - point , eight - rebound and six - assist outing in this win . Kemba Walker 's 40 points marks a season - high , along with his 10 rebounds . The Hornets actually had three players finish with a double - double for the first time all season . One key difference was the hustle stats , as the Raptors combined for 13 blocks and steals , while the Hornets finished with just five . Points in the paint were huge as well , with Toronto getting 50 paint points to Charlotte 's 32 . The Raptors also dominated fastbreak points , winning that battle 24 - 4 .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Atlanta Hawks , 100 - 96 , at Spectrum Center on Friday . The battle of Southeastern Division rivals lived up to its billing , with the Hornets ( 8 - 3 ) pulling away in the fourth quarter of what was an exciting nip - and - tuck contest . Nicolas Batum , Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller ripped off a trio of 20 - point efforts to spearhead the win , which helped overcome a collective 41 percent field - goal percentage . In contrast , the Hawks ( 9 - 3 ) tallied a superior 46 percent success rate , but did turn the ball over 16 times , five more than Charlotte . Despite the defeat , Atlanta can take solace in the effort put in by the returning Dwight Howard , who hauled in 18 boards and also contributed 10 points , two assists , three steals and two blocks . The Hawks were led by Paul Millsap , who posted a 22 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included an assist and a block . Kent Bazemore followed with 19 points , two rebounds , two assists , three steals and two blocks . Dennis Schroder contributed 11 points , five assists , a rebound and a steal . Mike Muscala , who turned in a strong performance in Howard 's stead on Wednesday , was productive off the bench , totaling 11 points , five rebounds , two assists and a block . Batum paced the Hornets with 24 points , 10 rebounds , four assists and a pair of steals . Zeller was outstanding in compiling a season - high 23 points , as he shot 9 - of - 10 from the field and also hauled in three boards , an assist , three blocks and two steals . Walker , who totaled 21 points , six assists , five rebounds and two steals , helped seal the victory with a go - ahead jumper with 4:3 remaining that he followed up with an acrobatic highlight - reel layup and three - point jumper shortly thereafter . While Marvin Williams was only able to muster eight points , he did haul in 11 rebounds and dished out three assists . The Hawks head to New York for a Sunday afternoon date with the Knicks , while the Hornets head to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Saturday night .

Nicolas Batum , Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller ripped off a trio of 20 - point efforts to spearhead the hard - fought division win , helping the Hornets overcome a collective 41 percent field - goal percentage . Batum 's 24 points led the way , while Zeller was outstanding in compiling a season - high 23 points on a 9 - of - 10 shooting tally . Walker totaled 21 points and Marvin Williams hauled in 11 rebounds . The Hawks posted a superior 46 percent success rate from the field , but did also turn the ball over 16 times , five more than the Hornets . Dwight Howard returned from a one - game absence to post a 10 - point , 18 - rebound double - double , but it was Paul Millsap 's 22 - point , 13 - rebound performance that paced Atlanta . Kent Bazemore and Dennis Schroder combined for 30 points , while Mike Muscala ( 11 points ) led the reserves in his return to the second unit .


The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Charlotte Hornets 105 - 90 at Spectrum Center on Monday . The Grizzlies ( 9 - 5 ) pulled out their fifth straight win behind a strong effort from Mike Conley . The floor general for the Grizzlies was an all around force from end-to-end , especially after losing James Ennis ( calf ) . The calf injury flared up after returning to the lineup on Monday , and is another blow to the front court for Memphis given Chandler Parsons ( bruised left knee ) inability to play for roughly two more weeks . Memphis controlled the pace of the game from start to finish and never let the Hornets ( 8 - 5 ) get close enough to make it a game . The game got blow fully open after Conley buried a 27-foot three point shot to take a 69 - 45 lead with just a few seconds left in the third quarter . The Grizzlies point guard finished with 31 points , four rebounds , two assists and three steals on 11 - of - 21 shooting . JaMychal Green had a great performance in the starting lineup with 12 points , eight rebounds and an assist on 4 - of - 4 shooting in 31 minutes . Kemba Walker led the starting lineup in scoring for the Hornets , but failed to provide enough to get his team back in the game after contributing 17 points and two assists . Charlotte got strong productivity from the bench , where Frank Kaminsky dropped 23 points on 11 shots in 20 minutes , while Spencer Hawes added 14 points and 10 rebounds . Both teams play on Wednesday , as the Hornets host the San Antonio Spurs , while the Grizzlies head to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers .


The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 119 - 114 , at Spectrum Center on Wednesday . The Spurs ( 12 - 3 ) have long been renowned for their defense , and rightfully so . However the Hornets ( 8 - 6 ) were able to pierce San Antonio 's armor Wednesday , touching up Gregg Popovich 's crew for a season - high 114 points . Charlotte had eight players hit double digits in the scoring column and tallied 51 and 55 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively . Their second unit compiled 45 points overall , but the Spurs countered with standout efforts from Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge , which were pivotal in keeping the Spurs ' road record unblemished at 80 . Leonard collected 30 points , five rebounds , four assists , a steal and a block to lead the visitors . Aldridge followed with 23 points , seven rebounds , two assists , two blocks and a steal . Danny Green was solid with his best effort since returning seven games ago , posting a season - best 16 points and adding three rebounds , two assists and a block . Tony Parker totaled a modest 11 points , three assists , a rebound and a steal , and hit a clutch 23 - foot three - pointer with 22 seconds remaining to extend San Antonio 's advantage to 115 - 110 . Davis Bertans paced the bench with 11 points . Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 26 points and supplemented them with nine rebounds and seven assists . Nicolas Batum was next with 13 points , seven rebounds and five assists . Roy Hibbert , Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams posted a trio of 10 - point efforts and also combined for 10 rebounds . Frank Kaminsky III led the second unit with 13 points , eight rebounds and five assists , while Marco Belinelli and Spencer Hawes supplied 12 and 11 points , respectively , off the bench as well . The Spurs head to Boston to tangle with the Celtics on Friday afternoon , while the Hornets go up north for a Friday evening tussle with the New York Knicks .

The Hornets ' 114 points were the most scored against the Spurs this season , and came on the strength of eight players hitting double digits in the scoring column . They also tallied 51 and 55 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively , and saw their second unit score a collective 45 points . Kemba Walker paced Charlotte with 26 points , while Nicolas Batum contributed 13 . Frank Kaminsky 's 13 points led the reserves . Leonard collected 30 points , five rebounds , four assists , a steal and a block to lead San Antonio . Aldridge followed with 23 points , while Danny Green posted a season - best 16 points . Tony Parker totaled a modest 11 points but hit a clutch 23 - foot three - pointer with 22 seconds remaining to extend San Antonio 's advantage to 115 - 110 . Davis Bertans paced the bench with an 11 - point outing .


A home - and - home set is almost always split with the home teams winning both games and that was just the case here . Both games were tight too , with both matchups being decided by five points or less . The game scripts were different though , as there were only six combined lead changes and ties on Saturday , after having 39 on Friday . Jeremy Lamb was the surprise star for the Hornets , as he made his first start of the year in the absence of Nicolas Batum . Lamb finished the game with a season - high 18 points and a career - high 17 rebounds . Kemba Walker led the team in scoring though , providing 28 points , three assists and three steals . After Carmelo Anthony dropped a season - high 35 points on Friday , Anthony went just 7 - of - 25 from the field here en route to 18 points . Derrick Rose also scored 18 points , adding eight rebounds and eight assists in one of his best games of the season .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the visiting New York Knicks , 107 - 102 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday . After playing a competitive game on Friday , these two teams put up a similar fight on Saturday . The game flow was a bit different though , as there were only six combined lead changes and ties after nearly 40 on Friday . Charlotte got out to a hot start , as they led 38 - 22 after the first quarter . New York fought back to take their first and only lead in the fourth quarter , but could n't quite hold off a late fury by the Hornets . Defense was key for Charlotte , as they held New York to 38 percent from the field and 37 percent from three - point range . The Hornets also took advantage of the whistle , taking 21 more free - throw attempts than the Knicks . New York ( 8 - 8 ) had the tough task of winning both games of a home - and - home set and they did all they could to hang around in this tight loss . Kristaps Porzingis led the team in scoring , dropping 25 points and grabbing six boards . Derrick Rose fell just shy of a triple - double , accumulating 18 points , eight rebounds and eight assists . Carmelo Anthony also scored 18 points , adding eight rebounds on an ugly 7 - of - 25 shooting . On deck for the Knicks is a home matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday . Charlotte ( 9 - 7 ) had to play this game extremely shorthanded , but they got some huge performances from unexpected sources . Jeremy Lamb was the biggest surprise , as he scored a season - high 18 points and grabbed a career - high 17 rebounds in his first start with the Hornets . Kemba Walker led the team in scoring , tallying 28 points , three assists and three blocks in the win . Cody Zeller recorded a double - double , totaling 11 points and 10 rebounds . Starters Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams both sat out this game with differing injuries . The Hornets will return to action on Monday , when they play the Memphis Grizzlies on the road .


The Detroit Pistons defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 112 - 89 , at Spectrum Arena on Tuesday . The Pistons ( 9 - 10 ) checked in to Tuesday 's contest with an unsightly 1 - 8 road record , a sharp contrast to the 7 - 2 mark they 've compiled at the Palace at Auburn Hills . However , Tobias Harris took matters into his own hands , ensuring that Detroit would stop the bleeding away from home , at least for a night . He tallied a team - high 24 points and supplemented it with seven rebounds , two assists , two blocks and a steal . He was aided by a pair of 18 - point efforts from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris , which helped make up for a forgettable outing from Andre Drummond , who played just 13 minutes and scored three points on 1 - of - 6 shooting . Overall , the Pistons enjoyed one of their better shooting nights of the season , posting a 49 percent success rate from the field , while also limiting the Hornets ( 10 - 8 ) to sub - 40 percent tallies from both the field and three - point range . Caldwell-Pope added seven rebounds , seven assists , a steal and a block to his scoring total . Morris checked in with four rebounds and a steal in addition to his points . Ish Smith supplied 13 points , three assists , two rebounds and a steal , while Jon Leuer led the reserves with 12 points , seven rebounds , an assist and a steal . The Hornets found scoring to be at a premium throughout the night , with only three players across the entire roster managing double - digit points . Kemba Walker unsurprisingly led the way with 23 points , four assists , two rebounds , two steals and a block . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was next with 10 points , four rebounds , a steal and a block . Cody Zeller registered a modest eight points but did haul in 10 rebounds . Nicolas Batum and Frank Kaminsky could only combine for 10 points , although Batum also brought in 11 boards and dished out five assists . Marco Belinelli paced the second unit with 11 points , two rebounds , two assists and a block . The Pistons continue on the road , as they face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday . The Hornets are off until Thursday , when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to town .

Tobias Harris ' team - high 24 points helped the Pistons notch just their second road victory of the season . He was aided by a pair of 18 - point efforts from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris , which helped make up for an ejection of Andre Drummond for elbowing Roy Hibbert . Drummond scored just three points over 13 minutes . Jon Leuer was once again solid off the bench , leading the second unit with 12 points . The Pistons shot 49 percent overall while limiting the Hornets to sub - 40 percent tallies from the field and three - point range . Only three Hornets players scored in double digits . Kemba Walker 's 23 points led the way , while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist poured in 10 points overall . Cody Zeller and Nicolas Batum supplemented their eight - point outputs with 10 and 11 rebounds , respectively . Marco Belinelli 's 11 points lead the second unit .


Kemba Walker paced the Hornets offense with a relatively modest 18 points , and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was close behind with 14 points of his own . Nicolas Batum filled out the stat sheet nicely with a near double - double consisting of 12 points , nine rebounds , six assists and a steal . Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky combined for just seven points but 10 rebounds as well . Dallas managed respective 37 percent and 29 percent tallies from the field and three - point range , despite seeing five players post double - digit scoring performances . Harrison Barnes paced them with 17 points , while Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews followed with a pair of 14 - point efforts . Matthews did struggle considerably from long range , however , going just 1 - of - 11 from beyond the arc . Justin Anderson and Jonathan Gibson impressively combined for 26 points off the bench .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Dallas Mavericks , 97 - 87 , at Spectrum Center on Thursday . The offensively - challenged Mavericks ( 3 - 15 ) checked in to Thursday 's contest having failed to score in the triple digits in 10 of their last 11 games , and with Dirk Nowitzki out again with an Achilles injury , they struggled yet again . They managed respective 37 percent and 29 percent tallies from the field and three - point range , despite seeing five players post double - digit scoring performances . The Hornets ( 11 - 8 ) were better overall from the field ( 47 percent ) , even though Kemba Walker paced the offense with a relatively modest 18 points . Harrison Barnes led Dallas with 17 points , which he supplemented with nine rebounds , an assist and two steals . Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews followed with a pair of 14 - point efforts , with the former adding eight assists and three rebounds and the latter also bringing in three rebounds and dishing out two assists . Matthews did struggle considerably from long range , however , going just 1 - of - 11 from beyond the arc . Justin Anderson paced the second unit with 15 points and three rebounds , while Jonathan Gibson contributed 11 points , five assists , two rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes as a reserve as well . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist followed closely behind Walker with 14 points , three rebounds , two assists and a block . Nicolas Batum filled out the stat sheet nicely with a near double - double consisting of 12 points , nine rebounds , six assists and a steal . Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky combined for just seven points but 10 rebounds as well . Jeremy Lamb led the second unit with 12 points , six rebounds , two assists and a block , while Roy Hibbert tallied 11 points , four rebounds , two assists and a pair of blocks in 17 minutes off the bench . The Mavericks head back home to take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night , while Hornets continue their home stand with a Saturday night showdown against the Timberwolves .


Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 56 points to key the come - from - behind overtime road victory . Wiggins ' 31 - foot three - point jumper with eight seconds remaining knotted the score at 106 , and his pair of clutch free throws with 11 seconds remaining in overtime helped seal the victory . Wiggins totaled 29 points overall , while Towns was right behind him with a 27 - point , 15 - rebound double - double . Zach LaVine supplied 17 points and Nemanja Bjelica and Shabazz Muhammad led the bench with 12 - point efforts . Kemba Walker 's 22 points paced the Hornets . Frank Kaminsky III got another start at power forward in place of Marvin Williams and tallied 21 points . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Nicolas Batum turned in a pair of 15 - point efforts , with the latter making it a double - double with 12 assists . Marco Belinelli led the second unit with a 15 - point tally .

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Charlotte Hornets in overtime , 125 - 120 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday . The Timberwolves ( 6 - 14 ) may have looked like somewhat easy prey to the hometown Hornets , considering they came in with a 5 - 14 record despite their solid talent . The first quarter did nothing to dissuade those beliefs , as Charlotte ( 11 - 9 ) jumped out to a 29 - 19 lead after the first 12 minutes . However , Minnesota clawed back to trail by only three , 52 - 49 by intermission . The second half was a continuous see - saw battle that appeared like it might go the Hornets ' way in the closing seconds , until an Andrew Wiggins 31 - foot three - point jumper with eight seconds remaining knotted the score at 106 . He then sunk a pair of clutch free throws with 11 seconds remaining in overtime to give Minnesota some crucial breathing room at 123 - 118 . That five - point margin was the final separation between the two teams , as the Timberwolves secured only their third road win of the season . Wiggins totaled 29 points overall while leading the visitors , and he added four assists , a rebound and three steals . Karl-Anthony Towns was right behind him with 27 points , 15 rebounds , an assist , two blocks and a steal . Zach LaVine supplied 17 points , three assists , two rebounds , two steals and a block . Ricky Rubio managed a modest seven points but did dish out 12 assists . Nemanja Bjelica and Shabazz Muhammad led the bench with a pair of 12 - point efforts , and also totaled eight rebounds between them . The Hornets were paced by Kemba Walker , who posted 22 points , eight assists and four rebounds . Frank Kaminsky III got another start at power forward in place of Marvin Williams and tallied 21 points , nine rebounds , five assists , a steal and a block . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist registered 15 points , six rebounds and an assist . Nicolas Batum matched his point total and made it a double - double with 12 assists , while also hauling in eight rebounds , recording three steals and posting a block . Marco Belinelli led the second unit with 15 points . The Timberwolves head back home to face the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday evening , while the Hornets travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Monday night .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Detroit Pistons , 87 - 77 , at Spectrum Arena on Wednesday . The Hornets ( 13 - 9 ) have often counted on their standout guard combo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum this season to serve as the foundation of their offense , and their contributions came in particularly handy Wednesday against the Pistons ( 12 - 12 ) . Andre Drummond posted a 26 - point , 20 - rebound double - double for Detroit that also featured an assist and a pair of blocks , but the Hornets ' dynamic duo countered with a 25 - point tally from Walker and a 14 - point , 15 - rebound effort from Batum . Despite the trio of remarkable performances , it was largely a defensive - minded contest , with both teams shooting under 40 percent from the field , and with the Pistons posting a particularly unsightly 15 percent success rate from behind the arc . Tobias Harris was a distant second on Detroit with 14 points , seven rebounds , two assists and a block . Reggie Jackson continued to ramp up his minutes in his third game back from offseason knee problems , totaling 10 points , three rebounds , two assists and a block over 26 minutes . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris had quiet nights on the scoreboard by their standards with a pair of seven - point contributions , but the latter did haul in 10 rebounds . Jon Leuer headlined a modest outing for the second unit with six points , six assists and four rebounds . Walker added four assists , three rebounds and two steals to his game - high scoring haul , while Batum also dished out three dimes . Marvin Williams was back in the starting lineup after missing six games with a knee injury and supplied 12 points , five rebounds and a steal . Cody Zeller posted nine points , six rebounds and a block , while Marco Belinelli led the reserves with 13 points , five rebounds , an assist and two steals in 28 minutes . The Pistons continue on the road and next visit with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening , while the Hornets remain home to face off with the Orlando Magic on Friday night as well .

The Hornets ' dynamic duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum combined for 39 points and 18 rebounds ( 14 of which came from Batum ) , which overcame Andre Drummond 's 26 - point , 20 - rebound double - double for Detroit . Marvin Williams returned after a six - game absence and supplied 12 points , while Marco Belinelli paced the bench with 13 points , five rebounds , an assist and two steals . Tobias Harris was a distant second on Detroit with 14 points , while Reggie Jackson saw another playing time boost and totaled 10 points , three rebounds , two assists and a block over 26 minutes . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris supplied a pair of seven - point efforts , and the latter also hauled in 10 rebounds . Despite the trio of aforementioned remarkable performances , it was largely a defensive - minded contest , with both teams shooting under 40 percent from the field .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic , 109 - 88 , at Spectrum Center on Friday . While the Magic ( 10 - 14 ) has generally played tough defense this season , their efforts on that side of the ball have often been undermined by a lack of offensive proficiency . The most recent example was Friday , when Orlando was only able to post 37 percent and 27 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively . Meanwhile , the backcourt duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum combined for 31 points on 13 - of - 24 shooting to spearhead a 48 percent tally for the Hornets ( 14 - 9 ) , who pulled away with a 39 - point third quarter . Orlando was led by a modest 14 points from Evan Fournier , who added two rebounds . Serge Ibaka followed with 12 points , seven boards , three assists and a block . Aaron Gordon and Bismack Biyombo supplied a pair of nine - point efforts , while D.J . Augustin managed just eight points , two rebounds , an assist and two steals in 19 minutes despite drawing the start . Matching 16 - point totals from Nicolas Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist paced the Hornets , with the former adding nine boards and seven assists , and the latter hauling in seven boards and dishing out an assist . Walker was close behind with 15 points , five assists and a steal . Cody Zeller registered nine points , seven rebounds , an assist and a steal , while the bench was led by a pair of 12 - point efforts from Jeremy Lamb and Ramon Sessions . The Magic head back home to face the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night , while the Hornets head to Cleveland for a Saturday night showdown against the Cavaliers .

The Hornets clamped down on Orlando , which was only able to post 37 percent and 27 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively . The backcourt duo of Kemba Walker ( 15 points ) and Nicolas Batum ( 16 points ) combined for 31 points on 13 - of - 24 shooting to spearhead a 48 percent tally for the Hornets , who pulled away with a 39 - point third quarter . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist supplied 16 points as well , while Cody Zeller registered nine points . The bench was led by a pair of 12 - point efforts from Jeremy Lamb and Ramon Sessions . Orlando was led by a modest 14 points from Evan Fournier , while Serge Ibaka followed with 12 points . Aaron Gordon and Bismack Biyombo supplied a pair of nine - point efforts , and D.J . Augustin managed just eight points in 19 minutes despite drawing another start Friday .


The dynamic backcourt duo of Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker propelled the Hornets to a comeback victory , after the Lakers jumped out to a 73 - 59 halftime lead . Charlotte stormed back in the second half and sealed the win with a Batum eight - foot basket with 13 seconds on the clock , and two free throws with six ticks left . Walker 's 28 points , which came on 11 - of - 26 shooting , paced the Hornets . Batum had a double - double with 23 points and 10 assists . Marvin Williams ( 15 points ) and Cody Zeller ( 11 points ) rounded out the first unit , while Marco Belinelli ( 13 points ) and Frank Kaminsky III ( 11 points ) were productive off the bench . Jordan Clarkson 's 25 points paced the Lakers , while starting two - guard Nick Young tallied 24 points . D'Angelo Russell ( 15 points ) and Luol Deng ( 11 points ) also provided solid support .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 117 - 113 , at Spectrum Center on Tuesday . A somewhat surprisingly tightly - contested battle saw the Lakers ( 11 - 20 ) ambush the host Hornets ( 16 - 13 ) early , building an impressive 41 - 35 lead after one quarter . They did n't take their foot off the gas in the second quarter , which led to an even more eye - opening 73 - 59 edge at halftime . However , Charlotte apparently got a wake - up call at intermission , outscoring their visitors 58 - 40 over the final two periods . Fittingly , it was the dynamic backcourt duo of Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker that led the way , and that helped seal the victory when things tightened up late . A Marco Belinelli three - pointer with 2:21 remaining knotted the game up at 113 , but it was Batum who put the finishing touches on the win by draining an eight - foot basket with 13 seconds on the clock , and two free throws with six ticks left to provide the final margin of victory . The Lakers were led by Jordan Clarkson off the bench , as he went with 25 points , five assists , three rebounds , a steal and a block . Starting two - guard Nick Young was right behind him with 24 points and two boards . D'Angelo Russell supplied 15 points , five boards , five assists and two blocks . Luol Deng went furnished 11 points , seven rebounds , an assist and three blocks , while Larry Nance , Jr. also was productive in a reserve role , totaling 10 points over 21 minutes . Walker 's 28 points , which came on 11 - of - 26 shooting , paced the Hornets , a total he supplemented with 10 assists and eight rebounds . Batum had his own double - double with 23 points , 10 assists , five rebounds and a steal . Marvin Williams continued his recently resurgent offensive play , posting 15 points , five rebounds and a pair of assists . Cody Zeller registered 11 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals . Belinelli and Frank Kaminsky III went for 13 and 11 points , respectively , off the bench . The Lakers head down to South Florida for a Thursday evening date with the Miami Heat , while the Hornets are home again against the Bulls on Friday night .


The dynamic backcourt duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum led the way for the Hornets with matching 20 - point efforts , with the latter adding 11 rebounds , 10 assists , a steal and a block . Cody Zeller went for 13 points , while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a near double - double with 12 points and nine boards , along with four blocks . Frank Kaminsky III 's 13 points paced the bench . The Hornets struggled from three - point range with just a 28 percent success rate , but also recorded 13 blocks on the night . Butler 's 26 points paced the Bulls , and Dwyane Wade registered 12 points . Taj Gibson supplied 10 points , while Rajon Rondo went for seven points , 10 assists , nine rebounds and two steals . Doug McDermott 's 15 points and Nikola Mirotic 's 11 - point , 10 - rebound double in 19 minutes were the top bench contributions .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Chicago Bulls , 103 - 91 , at Spectrum Center on Friday night . The Bulls ( 14 - 15 ) checked in to Friday night on a downturn , as they 'd lost four of their last five . They were able to get off to a fast start , however , outscoring the host Hornets ( 17 - 13 ) by a 26 - 22 margin in the first quarter . Charlotte turned the table quickly in the second period , however , almost doubling up the visitors with a 26 - 14 advantage . Although the Bulls bounced back in the third , the Hornets were able to keep pace every step of the way throughout the second half , which resulted in their tenth home win of the season . While Chicago failed to find much scoring from their starting five outside of Jimmy Butler , Charlotte benefited from a balanced effort across their first unit . As customary , the effective backcourt duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum led the way , as they supplied matching 20 - point contributions . Butler 's 24 points led the Bulls , a total he supplemented with four rebounds , four assists and a block . Dwyane Wade was second , registering 12 points , seven rebounds , two assists and two steals . Taj Gibson supplied 10 points , three rebounds and a pair of blocks . Rajon Rondo mustered a modest seven points but also provided 10 assists , nine rebounds and two steals . Doug McDermott led the second unit with 15 points , while Nikola Mirotic managed an 11 - point , 10 - rebound double that also included a steal and a block in just 19 minutes off the bench . Walker added five rebounds , four assists and a steal to his co - leading point total , while Batum 's performance was a triple - double that also consisted of 11 rebounds , 10 assists , a steal and a block . Cody Zeller went for 13 points , seven rebounds , four assists , two blocks and a steal . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a near double - double with 12 points , nine rebounds , two assists , a steal and four blocks . Frank Kaminsky III paced the bench with 13 points , five boards , an assist and a block . The Bulls are in San Antonio on Christmas Day to take on the Spurs , while the Hornets visit the Brooklyn Nets on Monday evening .


The dynamic duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum led the Hornets to their 11th win in 17 home games , with the former scoring a game - high 22 points and the latter providing 16 . Walker complemented his scoring total with seven rebounds , four assists and a steal and Batum filled out the stat sheet with 13 rebounds , eight assists , three steals and a block . Marvin Williams registered 13 points , Cody Zeller posted nine , and Jeremy Lamb led the second unit with 10 points . Charlotte limited the Heat to 40 percent shooting and induced 16 turnovers . Josh Richardson 's 20 points led Miami . Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington supplied 18 and 12 points , respectively , off the bench . Goran Dragic could only muster five points on 2 - of - 11 shooting , while Hassan Whiteside went for eight points and 10 rebounds .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat , 91 - 82 , at Spectrum Center on Thursday . The refrain is a familiar one for the Hornets ( 19 - 14 ) , but does n't seem to get old : The dynamic duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum supply a significant portion of the offense , and the complementary pieces around them step up in support as needed . That formula equaled another home victory for Charlotte on Thursday , their 11th of the season in 17 home games . Walker scored a game - high 22 points , while Batum provided 16 . The hosts also played superior team defense , holding the Heat ( 10 - 23 ) to 40 percent shooting overall and inducing 16 turnovers . Miami was paced by Josh Richardson , who followed up a 22 - point outing against the Thunder on Tuesday with another 20 points on Thursday , along with four rebounds , two assists , a block and a steal . Tyler Johnson came off the bench to supply 18 points , seven rebounds , five assists , two steals and a block . Wayne Ellington provided 12 points , two boards and an assist in a reserve role as well . The returning Goran Dragic could only muster five points on 2 - of - 11 shooting , although he did add eight assists , three rebounds and a steal . Hassan Whiteside went for eight points , 10 rebounds and two blocks , notably taking only seven shots on the night . Walker complemented his aforementioned scoring total with seven rebounds , four assists and a steal . Batum filled out the stat sheet with 13 rebounds , eight assists , three steals and a block . Marvin Williams registered 13 points , two assists , a rebound and a steal . Cody Zeller offered nine points , seven rebounds , two assists , a steal and a block , while Jeremy Lamb led the second unit with 10 points , eight rebounds and a block . The Heat next head to Boston for a Friday night battle with the Celtics , while the Hornets host the Cleveland Cavaliers for a New Year 's Eve showdown on Saturday night .


With Kyrie Irving ( hamstring ) sidelined Saturday , LeBron James 32 points , nine assists and six rebounds ) and Kevin Love ( 28 - point , 10 - rebound double - double ) led the way for the Cavs , and Jordan McCrae provided 20 points ( 8 - 12 FG , 3 - 4 3Pt ) while drawing the start in Irving 's stead . Tristan Thompson supplied 11 points and six boards , while Kay Felder led the second unit with 13 points . The Cavs shot 51 percent from the field and 45 percent from three - point range . Kemba Walker countered with a game - high 37 points on the strength of 13 - of - 22 shooting . Frank Kaminsky III followed with 15 points and five rebounds , while Nicolas Batum compiled 13 points , eight assists , six rebounds and two blocks . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams totaled 12 and 10 points , respectively , and the Hornets posted a 51 percent success rate from the floor .

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 121 - 109 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday . The Cavs ( 25 - 7 ) entered the contest down one of their Big Three , as Kyrie Irving 's hamstring strain proved too much to play on . That left a larger load than usual on the capable shoulders of LeBron James and Kevin Love , and as customary , both All-Stars were up to the challenge . However , Kemba Walker was in no mood to let the Hornets ( 19 - 15 ) back down from the reigning NBA champs on Charlotte 's home court , and went off for a game - high 37 points . He supplemented his scoring haul with five rebounds and five assists over 35 minutes , and went 13 - of - 22 from the field overall . Despite his remarkable effort and the fact that the Hornets managed a 51 percent success rate from the field , the visitors still proved to be a bit too much to handle , as they drained their buckets at an equally impressive 51 percent clip , including 45 percent from three - point range . James ' 32 points led Cleveland , and he added nine assists , six boards and a steal . Love provided a 28 - point , 10 - rebound double - double , while Jordan McRae , drawing the start in Irving 's stead , totaled 20 points , four rebounds and an assist while putting on a shooting clinic . The second - year guard was 8 - of - 12 from the floor , including 3 - of - 4 from three - point range . Tristan Thompson supplied 11 points , six rebounds and a steal and Kay Felder , another young backcourt player getting extended opportunity due to Irving 's injury , led the second unit with 13 points . Frank Kaminsky III was actually second in scoring behind Walker on the Hornets , as he registered 15 points and five rebounds . Nicolas Batum compiled 13 points , eight assists , six rebounds and a pair of blocks in another stat - sheet - stuffing outing . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist amassed 12 points , eight rebounds and a block , while Marvin Williams managed 10 points , four rebounds , an assist , two blocks and a steal . The Cavs return home to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday evening , while the Hornets visit the Chicago Bulls on Monday night as well .


Nicolas Batum ( 28 points ) and Kemba Walker ( 20 points ) countered a 33 - point , 15 - rebound , eight - assist effort from Russell Westbrook . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist posted a 14 - point , 11 - rebound double - double and Marvin Williams also supplied eight points . Big men Frank Kaminsky III and Spencer Hawes made up for Cody Zeller 's absence with 17 and eight points , respectively , off the bench . Ramon Sessions and Jeremy Lamb also stepped up with a pair of nine efforts in reserve roles . The Hornets ' 46 and 38 percent tallies from the field and three - point range outpaced OKC 's corresponding 44 and 30 percent figures . After entering the fourth quarter with a slight 88 - 87 deficit , Charlotte outscored OKC 36 - 24 over the final 12 minutes . Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams had matching 18 - point efforts for the Thunder , while Enes Kanter went for 22 points in just 20 minutes .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder , 123 - 112 , at Spectrum Center on Wednesday . The Hornets ( 20 - 16 ) came in to Wednesday looking to cut a short two - game losing streak off at the pass , but faced the high hurdle known as Russell Westbrook in their attempt to do so . However , the dynamic duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum stepped up as they have so many times already this season , combining for 48 points to help offset a 33 - point , 15 - rebound , eight - assist effort from Westbrook that also included two steals and a block . The Hornets were also able to outperform the Thunder ( 21 - 14 ) shooting - wise , with their respective 46 and 38 percent tallies from the field and three - point range outpacing the corresponding 44 and 30 percent figures from the visitors on those categories . Charlotte was at its best in the fourth quarter , which they entered with a slight 88 - 87 deficit , outscoring OKC by a 36 - 24 margin over the final 12 minutes . Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams were next behind Westbrook with matching 18 - point efforts , with the former supplementing his scoring with five assists , three rebounds and a steal , and the latter also providing 12 boards , three assists , a steal and a block . Andre Roberson and Domantas Sabonis only contributed two points apiece , but Enes Kanter made up for some of the scoring void from the bench , registering 22 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes . Batum led the Hornets with 28 points , four assists , three rebounds and a block . Walker had a near double - double with 20 points , nine assists , four rebounds and two steals . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist posted a 14 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included a block . Marvin Williams provided a solid stat line of eight points , eight rebounds , an assist and three blocks . Frank Kaminsky III totaled 17 points , six rebounds , two assists , two steals and a block while leading the bench , while Ramon Sessions and Jeremy Lamb stepped up with a pair of nine efforts in reserve roles as well . With Cody Zeller out with a concussion and Roy Hibbert largely ineffective as a starter , even Spencer Hawes got into the act Wednesday , compiling eight points , four rebounds , two assists , two steals and two blocks in 24 minutes off the bench . The Thunder next visit the Houston Rockets on Thursday night , while the Hornets head to Motown to face off with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday evening as well .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers , 107 - 85 , at Spectrum Center on Wednesday . In a battle between two teams in the midst of losing streaks , the Hornets rode a huge fourth quarter en route to a 22 - point win . In fact , Charlotte won the fourth quarter , 28 - 13 . The Hornets defense was huge , as they forced the Blazers to commit 15 turnovers and shoot just 35 percent from the field . They did that damage while dominating the assist ratio , with Charlotte recording 28 assists to Portland 's 18 . Despite the game being close throughout the first half , Charlotte led for the entirety of the second half . The Blazers ( 18 - 26 ) have now lost three - straight games , as their defense continues to let them down . Damian Lillard was a nice bright spot for Portland though , as he tallied 21 points , seven rebounds and six assists . C.J . McCollum was the only other Blazer in double figures , totaling 18 points , two rebounds and four steals . Evan Turner was the best player off the bench , providing eight points , nine rebounds and two assists . On deck for the Blazers is a road matchup against the revived Philadelphia 76ers on Friday . The Hornets ( 21 - 21 ) were back home after a nightmare five - game road trip , as they took care of business here to snap a five - game losing streak . Kemba Walker was the player of the game , as he accumulated 23 points , five assists and three steals . Nicolas Batum accrued 17 points , seven rebounds and seven assists , despite committing five turnovers . Roy Hibbert was a nice spark off the bench , dropping 16 points and six rebounds on 7 - of - 8 from the field . Frank Kaminsky and Marco Belinelli also scored in double figures off the bench , combining for 24 points , eight rebounds , five assists and three steals . The Hornets will host the Toronto Raptors on Friday for their next game

The Hornets had lost five - straight games headed into this matchup , so a dominating home win is just what the doctor ordered . The fourth quarter is where they did their most damage , winning that quarter , 28 - 13 . Defense was key for Charlotte , as they held Portland to 35 percent from the field and 26 percent from three - point range . The Hornets also dominated the assist - to - turnover ratio , recording 10 more assists , while committing three less turnovers . Damian Lillard was the lone bright spot for Portland , as he accumulated 21 points , seven rebounds and six assists . C.J . McCollum was the only other Blazer in double figures , providing 18 points and four steals . Kemba Walker scored a game - high 23 points to go along with five assists and three steals . Nicolas Batum accrued 17 points , seven rebounds and seven assists . Marco Belinelli , Roy Hibbert and Frank Kaminsky combined for 40 points and 14 rebounds off the bench .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the visiting Toronto Raptors 113 - 78 , at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday evening . The Hornets led right from the start , as they led 26 - 18 after the first quarter . The Raptors managed to close the gap to one point but Charlotte pulled away again before half . The Hornets then came out and dominated the third quarter , behind a dominant showing from Kemba Walker . The Hornets outscored the Raptors 58 - 30 in the second half , en route to the dominating victory . This marked the Raptors ( 28 - 15 ) lowest point total of the season , as they were not able to match the Hornets ' intensity from the start . Kyle Lowry was the high - point man for Toronto , with 24 points on 7 - of - 18 shooting , while DeMar DeRozan followed up with 23 points on 8 - of - 17 shooting . The only other player to score in double digits for the Raptors was Jonas Valanciunas , who finished with 11 points and six rebounds . This marks the second straight loss for the Raptors , who will remain second place in the East . They will look to turn things around , as they head back home to play host to the Suns on Sunday . Meanwhile , the Hornets ( 22 - 21 ) have bounced back from a five - game losing streak by winning their second straight game . This was a huge win for Charlotte , against a solid Eastern Conference opponent . Kemba Walker was unstoppable , as he led his team with 32 points on 11 - of - 16 shooting , including a blazing 6 - of - 9 from long range . Five other players scored in double digits for the Hornets , with Frank Kaminsky III standing as the second - highest scorer , with 16 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting , in 27 minutes off the bench . The Hornets needed this win to maintain their chances of remaining in the top eight in the East , as the standings are pretty tight from seventh to tenth place . The Hornets will look to keep it rolling as they play host to the Nets on Saturday .

Kemba Walker dominated the game , as he finished with a game - high 32 points on 11 - of - 16 shooting , to go along with eight assists and four rebounds , in 29 minutes . Five other players scored in double digits for the Hornets , including Frank Kaminsky III , who chipped in 16 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting , to go along with eight rebounds , three steals , one assist and one block , in 27 minutes . Nicolas Batum finished with 13 points , six assists , four rebounds and one steal , in 31 minutes . Meanwhile , the Raptors struggled offensively , leading to their lowest points total of the season . Kyle Lowry finished with 24 points to lead the Raptors , while DeMar DeRozan followed up with 23 points . The only other player to score in double digits for Toronto was Jonas Valanciunas , who finished with 11 points and six rebounds , in 25 minutes .


The Nets trailed mounted a comeback despite trailing by a 28 - 14 margin after one quarter , but ultimately saw the Hornets pull away in the fourth period . Charlotte also tallied 48 percent shooting , including 48 percent from three - point range , and saw their bench contribute 43 points . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist co - led the Hornets with a 17 - point , 14 - rebound double - double and Ramon Sessions matched his point total . Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum chimed in with matching 16 - point efforts . Cody Zeller had a near double - double with 12 points and nine rebounds . Marco Belinelli registered 14 points , and Frank Kaminsky III supplied 10 points . Brook Lopez 's 24 points led the Nets . Bojan Bogdanovic and Sean Kilpatrick posted 16 and 13 points , respectively . Quincy Acy led the second unit with 14 points , and Randy Foye generated 11 points off the bench as well .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Brooklyn Nets , 112 - 105 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday . The Nets ( 9 - 34 ) had to have come in to Saturday 's contest with plenty of confidence , having compiled a season - high 143 points against the Pelicans on Friday night . However , the Nets ' effort to record a second straight road win was undermined by a highly efficient offensive performance on the part of the Hornets ( 23 - 21 ) . Seven Charlotte players hit double digits in the scoring column , and the Hornets reserves contributed a solid 43 points . Brooklyn did come back strong after falling behind by a 28 - 14 margin after one quarter , but ultimately saw the Hornets pull away in the fourth period . The home team also tallied 48 percent shooting overall , including 48 percent from three - point range . Brooklyn was led by Brook Lopez 's 24 points , which he supplemented with five rebounds , four assists and two blocks . Bojan Bogdanovic totaled 16 points , three rebounds and three assists . Sean Kilpatrick supplied 13 points , five assists , four rebounds and two steals , whileTrevor Booker provided eight points , nine rebounds and a pair of steals . Quincy Acy continued the strong start to his Nets tenure by leading the second unit with 14 points , four rebounds , an assist , two steals and a block . Randy Foye was also a solid contributor off the bench , generating 11 points , five assists and two rebounds . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist co - led the Hornets with a 17 - point , 14 - rebound double - double that also included an assist and two blocks . Ramon Sessions matched Kidd-Gilchrist 's scoring total and supplemented it with two rebounds and two assists . Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum chimed in with matching 16 - point efforts , with the former adding six assists and four rebounds , and the latter hauling in nine boards , six assists and four steals . Cody Zeller had a near double - double with 12 points , nine rebounds , three assists and a block . Marco Belinelli registered 14 points , five assists and a rebound over 22 minutes , and Frank Kaminsky III was also productive in a reserve role , compiling 10 points , two rebounds , two assists , two steals and a block . The Nets head back home to face off with the San Antonio Spurs on Monday evening , while the Hornets remain home to tangle with the Washington Wizards on Monday night .


The Washington Wizards defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 109 - 99 , at Spectrum Center on Monday night . The Wizards ( 24 - 20 ) could hardly have been blamed for potentially coming in to Monday with a bit of a hangover from their last game , a heartbreaking 113 - 112 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night . Washington saw a 112 - 111 lead go by the wayside at the buzzer courtesy of a Marcus Morris tip - in , and they were facing another formidable challenge in the form of a surging Hornets ( 23 - 22 ) squad that had won three in a row . However , the Wizards were up to the task , jumping on their hosts from the opening quarter and never letting up . Washington played very well on both sides of the ball , tallying 54 and 40 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively , and also limiting Charlotte to 39 and 25 percent figures in those categories . John Wall and Markieff Morris led the way by combining for 47 points and 52 percent shooting . Wall 's 24 points paced the Wizards , and he added seven assists , four rebounds and a steal . Morris followed with 23 points , a total he supplemented with eight rebounds and two assists . Bradley Beal was a highly effective third wheel with 18 points , five rebounds , four assists and a steal . Otto Porter , Jr. contributed a 14 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included two assists . Marcin Gortat put forward a modest eight points and seven boards , along with an assist , a steal and a block . Kelly Oubre , Jr. led the second unit with 10 points , two rebounds , an assist , two blocks and a steal . Kemba Walker led the way for the Hornets with 21 points , five assists , two rebounds and a block . Marco Belinelli tallied 18 points , three rebounds , two assists and a steal to lead the bench . Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams followed with matching 13 - point efforts , with the former adding nine rebounds , two assists , three steals and two blocks , and the latter supplying eight boards , four assists , two steals and a block . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist totaled eight points , seven boards , an assist and a block , and Nicolas Batum had a relatively quiet game by his standards , especially on the scoreboard , posting four points , six assists and seven rebounds . The Wizards head back home to face off with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday evening , while the Hornets remain home to face off with the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night .

The Wizards put together a complete performance , shooting 54 and 40 percent from the field and three - point range , respectively , and also limiting Charlotte to 39 and 25 percent figures in those categories . John Wall and Markieff Morris combined for 47 points and 52 percent shooting . Wall 's 24 points led the way , and Morris followed with 23 . Bradley Beal registered 18 points , while Otto Porter , Jr. contributed a 14 - point , 13 - rebound double - double . Marcin Gortat registered a modest eight points and seven boards , and Kelly Oubre , Jr. ( 10 points ) lead the bench . Kemba Walker 's 21 points paced Charlotte . Marco Belinelli tallied a second unit - leading 18 points . Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams supplied matching 13 - point efforts . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist totaled eight points , while Nicolas Batum had a quiet game by his standards , posting four points , six assists and seven rebounds .


Kemba Walker is currently in the middle of putting the finishing touches on his 2016 All-Star Game campaign , and while his numbers have been , for the most part , impressive , they have , more often than not , come with a cost . For example , in Wednesday 's contest with Golden State , Walker posted an impressive team - high 26 points . He did , however , shoot a fairly poor 9 - of - 23 from the field . This kind of performance has come more often than either Walker or the Hornets would like . In back - to - back games , Walker has scored a total of 47 points , but he 's also shot just 16 - of - 47 ( 34 percent ) from the field in those two outings . In fact , in four of his last six games , while Walker is averaging 24 points per game , he has failed to shoot over 40 percent four times . So while the numbers look good on paper , they are tending to come at the cost of efficiency .

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Charlotte Hornets 113 - 103 Wednesday at Spectrum Center . The game did n't come as easy to the Warriors ( 39 - 7 ) as the final score may indicate , as Golden State was behind for a good chunk of the second half of Wednesday 's contest . It was n't until midway through the final period that the Warriors were finally able to catch up and regain the lead - - a lead they would n't let go of for the final stretch . Kevin Durant was dominant in the winning effort , scoring a game - high 33 points in 37 minutes , while Steph Curry added 28 points of his own while shooting 6 - of - 12 from behind the arc . The two carried the load for most of the way , as they had to , with the five reserves who played off the bench Wednesday managing to score just a combined 18 points . For the Hornets ( 23 - 23 ) , the loss is their second in a row and drops them back down to .500 on the season . Kemba Walker did all he could , as he continues to make his case for the All-Star game , scoring a team - high 26 points and dishing out eight assists in 38 minutes . Nicolas Batum also put together a solid all - around night , posting 16 points , eight rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes of his own . Charlotte badly missed starting center Cody Zeller ( quad ) , however , as the three centers who played Wednesday struggled mightily . Roy Hibbert , Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes shot a combined 7 - of - 24 ( 29 percent ) from the field en route to scoring just 18 points . Up next , the Warriors will head to Los Angeles on Saturday to take on the Clippers , while the Hornets will look to get back on the right track Friday in New York against the Knicks .


DeMarcus Cousins 35 - point , 18 - rebound double - double led the way for the Kings , and his driving layup with 14 seconds remaining gave Sacramento a lead it would n't relinquish . Darren Collison was a distant second with 17 points , two assists and a block . Anthony Tolliver posted a bench - leading 14 points , while Arron Afflalo provided 13 . Willie Cauley-Stein totaled 13 points and three rebounds in a reserve role as well . Kemba Walker 's 26 points led the Hornets , a total he supplement with seven assists , three rebounds , a steal and a block . Nicolas Batum provided 19 points , seven rebounds and seven assists . Marvin Williams posted 14 points , while Spencer Hawes led the bench with 12 . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist managed nine points and Frank Kaminsky III was also productive as a reserve , registering eight points , six assists , four rebounds and a block .

The Sacramento Kings defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 109 - 106 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday . DeMarcus Cousins is always the centerpiece of the Sacramento offense due to his immense talent . However , any time that a fellow member of the starting five goes down , the mercurial big man 's importance and usage rate both tend to go through the roof . Such has been the case in the wake of the loss of Rudy Gay for the season to an Achilles injury , and the most recent example came Saturday as the Kings ( 19 - 28 ) handed the Hornets ( 23 - 25 ) their fourth straight loss . Cousins led the way with a massive 35 - point , 18 - rebound double - double and made two pivotal plays in the closing seconds . He netted a driving layup with 14 seconds left to give the Kings the lead , and then drained a free throw for the final margin of victory . Cousins added four assists and a block to his aforementioned numbers . Darren Collison was a distant second with 17 points , two assists and a block . Anthony Tolliver posted a bench - leading 14 points that he supplemented with seven boards , three assists , two steals and a block . Arron Afflalo provided 13 points , four assists , two rebounds and a steal . Willie Cauley-Stein totaled 13 points and three rebounds in a reserve role as well . The Hornets were led by Kemba Walker , who went for 26 points , seven assists , three rebounds , a steal and a block . Nicolas Batum provided 19 points , seven rebounds and seven assists . Marvin Williams posted 14 points , two rebounds and an assist . Spencer Hawes led the bench with 12 points , seven boards , an assist and a block . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist managed a full stat line of nine points , six rebounds , four blocks and a steal . Frank Kaminsky III was also productive as a reserve , registering eight points , six assists , four rebounds and a block . The Kings head to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers for a Monday night showdown , while the Hornets head west to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers .


Brooklyn limited the Hornets to 39 and 27 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively , but also battled back from a 54 - 37 halftime deficit to score 70 points in the second half . Ultimately , however , two clutch free throws by Marco Belinelli with six seconds remaining sealed the win for Charlotte . Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum supplied matching 17 - point efforts . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams managed 14 points apiece . Frank Kaminsky turned in a 12 - point , 11 - rebound double - double . Belinelli 's 17 points led the bench , while Jeremy Lamb provided 16 points in 19 minutes . Bojan Bogdanovic 's 22 points and his two three - pointers in the closing seconds kept things interesting . Brook Lopez registered 20 points , and Joe Harris ' 12 points led the bench . Isaiah Whitehead submitted 11 , while Trevor Booker posted a 10 - point , 12 - rebound double - double .

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Brooklyn Nets , 111 - 107 , at Spectrum Center on Tuesday . The Hornets ( 24 - 28 ) had to have come in to Tuesday 's tilt with an extra air of confidence , given that the Nets ( 9 - 43 ) had won just two road games in 24 attempts this season . However , Brooklyn came to play , as they did in all four games against Charlotte this season . Their second unit turned in 43 points , and they limited their hosts to 39 and 27 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively . They also battled back from a 54 - 37 halftime deficit to score 70 points in the second half . However , two clutch free throws by Marco Belinelli with six seconds remaining provided the final margin of victory for the Hornets . The Nets were led by Bojan Bogdanovic , who tallied 22 points , five rebounds and one assist , and who drained two his trio of three - pointers in the closing seconds to keep things interesting . Brook Lopez was next with 20 points , five rebounds , one assist and four blocks . Joe Harris led the bench with 12 points , four rebounds and one assist . Isaiah Whitehead was productive as well with 11 points , seven assists , one rebound and one steal in 26 minutes . Trevor Booker posted a 10 - point , 12 - rebound double - double that also included three assists . Randy Foye filled out the stat sheet with eight points , four rebounds and three assists . The Hornets saw Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum lead the way with matching 17 - point efforts , with the former adding five assists and three boards , and the latter compiling eight boards , four assists , four steals and two blocks . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams managed 14 points apiece . Kidd-Gilchrist also posted seven rebounds , two assists and a block , while Williams hauled in nine boards and a pair of blocks . Frank Kaminsky drew the start at center for the ailing Cody Zeller ( quad ) and turned in a 12 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included five assists and a steal . Belinelli led the second unit with 17 points , three rebounds and a block , while Jeremy Lamb provided 16 points , seven boards , a steal and a block in 19 highly efficient minutes off the bench . The Nets head back home to tangle with the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night , while the Hornets remain home to face off with the Houston Rockets on Thursday evening .


The Houston Rockets defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 107 - 95 , at Spectrum Center on Thursday evening . James Harden had exploded for a 40 - point , 15 - rebound , 10 - assist triple - double in his previous encounter with the Hornets ( 24 - 29 ) , so it was little surprise that his contributions spearheaded Houston 's 19th road win of the season Thursday . The perennial All-Star tallied a game - high 30 points that he supplemented with 11 boards , eight assists , one steal and one block . The rest of the starting five also posted double digits in the scoring column , and although they committed 17 turnovers , the Rockets ( 39 - 17 ) countered their mistakes by eliciting 21 from Charlotte . Patrick Beverley followed Harden with 17 points , three assists , two rebounds and three steals . Ryan Anderson was next with 14 points , four rebounds and one assist . Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela rounded out the first unit 's productive night with matching 11 - point efforts , with the former adding seven rebounds , three assists , two steals and two blocks , and the latter supplying seven boards , two assists , three steals and a block . Montrezl Harrell paced the second unit with 15 points , four rebounds , one assist and a steal . Nicolas Batum 's 15 - point , 10 - assist double - double that also included eight rebounds and one steal paced the Hornets . Kemba Walker managed 14 points , five rebounds , five assists , one steal and one block . Marvin Williams tallied 12 points , seven boards and two steals . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a modest but full stat line with eight points , nine rebounds , four assists , two blocks and one steal . Cody Zeller returned from a seven - game absence with a quad injury and generated nine points , four rebounds , one assist and two steals over 22 minutes before exiting with soreness . Marco Belinelli led the bench with 10 points , four boards and one assist . Frank Kaminsky ( nine points ) and Jeremy Lamb ( eight points ) were productive with the second unit as well . The Rockets return home to face off with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday evening , while the Hornets remain home to tangle with the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday afternoon .

James Harden 's near triple - double of 30 points , 11 rebounds and eight assists led Houston . Patrick Beverley followed with 17 points , while Ryan Anderson supplied 14 . Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela turned in matching 11 - point efforts , and Montrezl Harrell 's 15 points paced the bench . Nicolas Batum 's 15 - point , 10 - assist double - double paced the Hornets . Kemba Walker managed 14 points , while Marvin Williams tallied 12 points . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a modest but full stat line with eight points , nine rebounds , four assists , two blocks and one steal . Cody Zeller returned from a seven - game absence with a quad injury and generated nine points , four rebounds , one assist and two steals over 22 minutes before exiting . Marco Belinelli led the bench with 10 points . The Rockets committed 17 turnovers , but overcame them by eliciting a total of 21 from Charlotte .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Charlotte Hornets , 107 - 102 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday evening . The Clippers led by two at half time and boosted that lead , as they took a seven - point advantage into the fourth . The Hornets gave it a push in the fourth but were not able to make up the full difference . Jamal Crawford was the high - point man for the Clippers ( 33 - 21 ) , as he led the way with 22 points on 6 - of - 11 shooting , in 27 minutes off the bench . Blake Griffin filled the stat sheet with 20 points , 12 rebounds , eight assists and one block , in 35 minutes , while Austin Rivers chipped in 18 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting , including 4 - of - 6 from downtown . The Clippers won the rebounding battle and outscored the Hornets by 14 in the paint . The Clippers will look for their third straight win , as they go on to visit Utah to take on the Jazz on Monday . Meanwhile , the Hornets ( 24 - 30 ) struggled from the field , shooting only 43 percent . Kemba Walker was the main contributor to Charlotte 's poor shooting percentage , as he went 4 - of - 18 from the field , including 1 - of - 9 from long range , on his way to only 10 points . Nicolas Batum was the high - point man for the Hornets , with 25 , to go along with eight assists , six rebounds and one block , in 37 minutes . Frank Kaminsky came up big , as he got the start in place of the injured Cody Zeller . Kaminsky finished with 20 points , eight rebounds , five assists , two blocks and one steal , in 36 minutes . The Hornets will look to snap a two - game losing streak , as they go on to host the 76ers on Monday .

Jamal Crawford was the high - point man for the Clippers , with 22 points on 6 - of - 11 shooting , including 5 - of - 8 from long range , in 27 minutes off the bench . Blake Griffin followed up with 20 points , 12 rebounds , eight assists and one block , in 35 minutes , while Austin Rivers chipped in 18 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting , including 4 - of - 6 from downtown . The only other player to score in double digits for Los Angeles was J.J. Redick , who added 10 points on 3 - of - 11 shooting . Meanwhile , Kemba Walker struggled form the field , as he went 4 - of - 18 , including 1 - of - 9 from long range , finishing with only 10 points . Nicolas Batum was the high - point man for the Hornets , as he poured in 25 , to go along with eight assists , six rebounds and one block , in 37 minutes . Frank Kaminsky added 20 points , eight rebounds , five assists , two blocks and one steal , in 36 minutes .


Six Sixers players managed double digits in the scoring column , and Philadelphia shot 48 percent from the field overall . They limited the Hornets to a 44 percent success rate from the field and 36 percent from three - point range . Dario Saric led the visitors overall with an 18 - point , 11 - rebound double - double off the bench . Robert Covington tallied 17 points , while T.J. McConnell supplied 14 . Gerald Henderson and Nerlens Noel provided matching 12 - point efforts , while Nik Stauskas generated 11 points as a reserve . Kemba Walker 's game - high 29 points led Charlotte . Nicolas Batum compiled 16 points , and Frank Kaminsky III posted a 12 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included two assists , three blocks and one steal . Jeremy Lamb led the second unit with 12 points and one steal . Marco Belinelli and Brian Roberts were productive as well with matching eight - point efforts .

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 105 - 99 , at Spectrum Center on Monday evening . The Sixers ( 21 - 34 ) are clearly an improved team this season , and Monday 's game was a tangible example of such . In past seasons , even a Philadelphia squad at full strength would have found a win on the road a near impossibility . Take out two key players and a 30 - to - 40 - point defeat was a very real possibility . However , this season 's unit is playing with a very different level of confidence , and that intangible was pivotal to the Sixers notching a hard - fought victory despite the absences of Joel Embiid ( knee ) and Jahlil Okafor ( coach 's decision ) . Six players managed double digits in the scoring column , and Philadelphia shot 48 percent from the field overall . They played strong defense as well , limiting the Hornets ( 24 - 31 ) to a 44 percent success rate from the field and 36 percent from three - point range . Dario Saric led the visitors overall with 18 points off the bench , which he supplemented with 11 boards , three assists and one block . Robert Covington tallied 17 points , five rebounds , two assists , three steals and one block . T.J. McConnell supplied 14 points , seven assists , four rebounds and one steal . Gerald Henderson and Nerlens Noel provided matching 12 - point efforts , with the former adding four boards and one assist , and the latter registering seven boards , one assist , three steals and two blocks . Nik Stauskas generated 11 points , six rebounds , two assists and one steal . Kemba Walker paced the Hornets with a game - high 29 points , which he supplemented with seven rebounds , three assists and two steals . Nicolas Batum compiled 16 points , four assists , one rebound and two steals . Frank Kaminsky III posted a 12 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included two assists , three blocks and one steal . Jeremy Lamb led the second unit with 12 points and one steal . Marco Belinelli and Brian Roberts were productive as well with matching eight - point efforts . The Sixers travel to Beantown for a Wednesday night date with the Boston Celtics , while the Hornets travel north of the border to tangle with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday evening as well .