CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Washington Wizards overcame the Charlotte Hornets 124-114 on Monday night, marking the Hornets’ fifth consecutive loss. Bilal Coulibaly stood out for the Wizards, contributing 26 points, while Corey Kispert came off the bench to score 25 points, including five three-pointers. The Hornets played without two key players, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, due to injuries.
Miles Bridges achieved his first career triple-double, putting up 24 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds for the Hornets. Nick Smith Jr. added 24 points to the scoreboard, and Mark Williams rebounded from a slow start to finish with 23 points and 14 rebounds.
The Wizards had a tremendous second quarter, outscoring the Hornets 46-25, largely thanks to Kispert, who scored 18 points in that period with four three-pointers, enabling the Wizards to establish a 26-point lead in the first half. Kyle Kuzma also contributed significantly with 22 points, and Jonas Valanciunas provided a solid presence with 14 points and 17 rebounds. This victory allowed the Wizards to extend their winning streak to two games, following an earlier 16-game losing streak. Notably, three of their eight wins this season have been against the Hornets.
The Wizards excelled with their long-range shooting, making 17 three-pointers in total. They managed to secure the win even with their leading scorer, Jordan Poole, struggling to find his rhythm, scoring only six points on 2-of-11 shooting. Furthermore, Kyshawn George had limited impact, playing just one minute in the second half.
For the Hornets, Nick Smith Jr. appears to be emerging from a shooting slump. Following a productive outing against Denver where he scored 19 points, he once again showcased his skills by hitting 4 of 7 from beyond the arc against the Wizards.
A pivotal moment in the game came when the Hornets narrowed the gap to seven points. Coulibaly responded by sinking a three-pointer from the corner, re-establishing a 10-point lead with just 1:16 remaining on the clock and preventing a late comeback from Charlotte.
A significant statistic from the night was the Wizards’ remarkable shooting performance in the second quarter, where they converted 9 of 17 attempts from three-point range.
Looking ahead, both teams will be back in action on Wednesday night, with the Wizards going up against the Brooklyn Nets and the Hornets hosting the Milwaukee Bucks.
