Once again, it was a great California Classic win for the Charlotte Hornets as they beat the Chinese men’s national basketball team. The Hornets were not playing around tonight, as they ended up winning 93-62. A lot of these players showed up tonight, knocking down their shots and playing fast. However, one must acknowledge that Team China had a much better showing tonight in comparison to their first game yesterday.
Charlotte looks like they’re ready to take it home this Summer League after just two games.
Bryce McGowens Has a Field Day
There was no stopping guard Bryce McGowens tonight. He ended up with 20 points, one steal, two rebounds, and three assists to finish the night. In his 25 minutes of starting time, McGowens knocked down 4-8 of his shots from field goal range and had a whopping 12-14 from the line.
Yes, a majority of his points were free throws, but he got there by driving to the rim and being active with the ball. As predicted in the preview, McGowens was the breakout player of the match. In his first game, he only had six points, which didn’t seem right for a guy who’s played against top NBA talent already.
Expect McGowens to continue to play well for this Hornets team in their next California Classic game. Hopefully, he can take how he plays this summer and translate it into his NBA play. It would be great to see this player have a nice regular season.
Team China Sees Slight Improvement
The Chinese men’s national basketball team struggled again in their second game, bringing their record to 0-2. There were times during the game when it looked like Team China was going to pull through, but it never happened. Their young star, Hansen Yang, had a better game today, with 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. However, there has been talk of him being a high draft pick next season, and that type of talent wasn’t on display tonight.
One must also acknowledge that the team had to travel pretty far to get here and didn’t have much prep time. Still, there were two starters who had zero points tonight, which is very disappointing. The bench wasn’t a much better sight with many players falling under 10 points. Maybe they’ll be able to step it up before their final California Classic game. However, there is probably a better chance of them losing once again.
Hornets Producing Well Under Charles Lee
Former assistant coach of the NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics, has taken the helm of the Summer League team for the Charlotte Hornets. He’ll be head coaching the actual team during the regular season as well after departing from Boston. Lee has already proven to be a great coach during his time with the champs and could be the guy to improve the struggling Charlotte franchise.
The summer team has been doing very well, and there is no question that Lee has had an impact on their play. He’s making the right moves and getting to test the waters before the regular season starts. It will be even more exciting to see him coaching Brandon Miller when the NBA 2k25 Summer League in Vegas comes around.
For now, it’s safe to say the Charlotte Hornets have a good chance of taking home the best record. They’ll have a chance at another California Classic win when they face Sacramento Kings 1 on July 9th.
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