Brandon Miller scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets held off a late Atlanta rally for a 110-107 victory Wednesday night, just hours after two starters were suspended by the NBA.
LaMelo Ball knocked down seven 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, while Kon Knueppel added 18 points on four 3s as Charlotte won its 10th game in the last 11. The Hornets connected on 19 of 51 shots from beyond the arc, with Miller hitting five and combining with Ball and Knueppel for 10 first-half 3-pointers to help build a 17-point lead.
Charlotte played without forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, who were each suspended four games for their roles in Monday’s altercation against Detroit. Replacement starters Ryan Kalkbrenner and Grant Williams had limited impact, but G League call-up PJ Hall provided a lift with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Hornets led by as many as 19 in the second half before Atlanta stormed back. Jalen Johnson’s jumper with 1:05 remaining trimmed the deficit to one, but Onyeka Okongwu turned the ball over on a fast break opportunity that could have given the Hawks the lead.
Knueppel calmly sank two free throws with 19.4 seconds left to make it 110-107. Atlanta had one final chance to tie, but Okongwu missed a 3-pointer. CJ McCollum tracked down the rebound in the corner but was unable to get a shot off before time expired.
Dyson Daniels led Atlanta with 21 points, while Johnson finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in the loss.
Up next:
The Hawks visit Philadelphia on Feb. 19. The Hornets host Houston on Feb. 19.
