Brandon Miller scored a career-high 39 points on 15-of-28 shooting as the Charlotte Hornets beat Washington Wizards 110-103 on Monday night at Spectrum Center, pushing Charlotte to 3-1 on the young season.
The Hornets broke the game open with a 35-point second quarter, outscoring Washington 35-23 in the frame to take control after trailing by as many as four points early. Anthony Davis led the Wizards with 29 points and 10 rebounds, but Washington fell to 2-2 despite outscoring Charlotte 35-30 in the fourth quarter.
Takeaways From Hornets’ Win Over Wizards
Second-quarter surge decided it
Charlotte trailed 21-19 after the first quarter before Miller took over. He scored 17 points in the second period alone, including back-to-back buckets that pushed the lead to six, and the Hornets closed the half on a 38-13 stretch of extended runs built around his shooting. The Hornets outscored Washington 35-23 in the quarter and took a 54-44 lead into halftime.
Charlotte dominated the glass
The Hornets finished with 54 rebounds to Washington’s 41, including a 20-10 edge in offensive boards. Moussa Diabate grabbed 11 offensive rebounds by himself en route to a game-high 17 overall, and Charlotte turned that extra possession total into 10 fast-break points compared to Washington’s four.
Wizards’ fourth-quarter rally fell short
Washington outscored Charlotte 35-30 in the final period, cutting into what had been a 14-point Hornets lead at its largest. Kyshawn George scored 20 points off the bench and Trae Young added 22 points with 10 assists, but the Wizards could not overcome the deficit built in the second quarter. Washington shot 48% from the field for the game, actually outshooting Charlotte’s 43%, but could not match the Hornets’ volume on the boards or at the free-throw line.
Player Of The Game: Brandon Miller
Miller finished with 39 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 36 minutes, shooting 15 of 28 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range. He added 4 free throws on 5 attempts and turned the ball over twice.
Hornets Vs. Wizards By The Numbers
Charlotte won the rebounding battle 54-41, a 13-rebound edge that included a 20-10 advantage on the offensive glass. The Hornets scored 10 fast-break points to Washington’s four and forced 14 Wizards turnovers while committing 12 of their own. Washington shot 48% from the field to Charlotte’s 43%, and the Hornets made more free throws on fewer attempts, going 14 of 17 compared to Washington’s 12 of 15. Charlotte scored 50 points in the paint to Washington’s 56.
What’s Next
The Hornets sit atop the Southeast Division standings at 3-1 with a two-game winning streak after Monday’s result. Washington drops to 2-2 and one game back in the division. Neither team’s next opponent was included in the available game data.
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