The Charlotte Hornets visited the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night at Target Center as Mo Williams and Gary Neal faced their old teams for the first time. When it was all said and done, Williams would get the last laugh as the Hornets defeated the Wolves 109-98.
The Wolves got off to a great start, jumping out to a 13-4 lead early in the game. To start the game, the Wolves double-teamed Al Jefferson in the post, which seemed to throw the Hornets off a bit. Once the Hornets adjusted to the double-team they were able to claw their way back. Despite shooting 60% in the first half, the Wolves only led by five at the half, 59-54.
A sluggish start to the second half by the Wolves is what ultimately swung this game in favor of the Hornets. Four turnovers were committed early in the second half by the Wolves, and the Hornets were able to grab their first lead of the game by a score of 64-63. The Hornets never looked back from this moment on, increasing the lead as the game went on, and the 11-point deficit that shows in the final score was the largest lead for the Hornets all night. Overall, the Hornets outscored the Wolves 55-39 in the second half.
Sir Charles In Charge
Mo Williams led the way for the Hornets off the bench against his former team, scoring 24 points on 10/16 shooting and adding four rebounds and four assists. Al Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 18 points each while Gerald Henderson chipped in 17 and Kemba Walker 16 for the Hornets.
The scoring for the Wolves was very balanced tonight, as seven of the eight players that played for the Wolves tonight finished in double-figures. Gorgui Dieng led the way with 16 points on 5/8 shooting from the field. Kevin Martin scored 15 points on 7/19 shooting and dished a new career-high nine assists.
The Wolves were able to get tremendous offensive help from the three bench players tonight. Gary Neal, Chase Budinger, and Lorenzo Brown combined to shoot 13/17 from the field for 30 points. However, most of this damage was done in the first half, and it would’ve been a big help to have down the stretch in the second half. The injury to Neal that took place in the second half didn’t really help the cause.
Tweet of the Night
Clip of the Night
— Canis Hoopus (@canishoopus) March 22, 2015
Notable Lines
- Andrew Wiggins: 13 points (5/10 FG, 3/6 FT), 1 rebound, 2 assists
- Adreian Payne: 13 points (6/8 FG, 1/2 FT), 9 rebounds
- Zach LaVine: 11 points (5/12 FG, 1/3 3PT), 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers
Stat of the Night
Generally, the Hornets aren’t a dominating team in the paint. However, tonight the Wolves were outscored in the paint by the Hornets, 52-22.
Who’s Got Next?
The Wolves will pack up and head west for a one game trip to Utah tomorrow night against the Jazz. It seems very unlikely that Gary Neal will be healthy for that game after spraining his ankle tonight, so look for newly-acquired Sean Kilpatrick to be active and see some action tomorrow night filling in. Additionally, it seems doubtful that any of the players that were out tonight (Rubio, Pekovic, Hamilton, Garnett) will be available tomorrow night. Hopefully the Wolves can get back on track tomorrow night against the Jazz.