Brandon Miller put his stamp on Charlotte’s 110-103 home win over the Washington Wizards on a night when the Hornets needed every bit of it.
The second-year wing poured in a career-best 39 points, knocking down 5 of 10 from beyond the arc and finishing 15 of 28 from the field as Charlotte moved to 3-1 under coach Charles Lee. It was the kind of takeover performance that turned the game into Miller’s stage, and he capped it with a three-point showing that had a Steph Curry flavor to it.
Miller’s latest burst came just after his Dunk of the Year candidate against the Nets, and this one only added to the growing buzz around him. The former Alabama standout looked like the clear alpha for Charlotte, especially with Kon Knueppel sidelined by injury.
The Hornets also got a major lift from Moussa Diabate, who grabbed 17 rebounds to help steady the interior. Naz Reid added 12 rebounds despite an 8-of-22 shooting night, and Grayson Allen chipped in 15 points off the bench while going 7-for-7 at the line.
Washington tried to keep pace, and Trae Young and Anthony Davis of the Wizards even attempted to hijack the moment with a wild alley-oop dunk from an almost impossible angle. But Miller’s night still belonged to Charlotte, and his 39-point outburst announced him as a bona fide rising star.
That matters for a Hornets team that is still carrying plenty of outside doubt, especially after dealing LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Miller is chasing a $209 million extension that would keep him in Charlotte through the 2031-2032 season, and the early signs are encouraging. He has been taking the “leap” many around the franchise believed he could, and Lee made clear before the season that he saw this coming.
Now, with the Hornets winning without Knueppel and heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the 3-0 Detroit Pistons, there’s at least a real sense that something is building in Buzz City.
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Dennis Schroder Is Giving Hornets Fans A Reason To Believe
Dennis Schroder wasted little time giving Charlotte something to feel good about, scoring 25 points in the Hornets 115-110 win over the Miami Heat. It was the kind of performance that fits the early tone of this new season for a team still trying to establish an identity, and it came from a veteran guard who arrived from Cleveland this offseason with a reputation for fitting into a lot of different places.
Schroders career has taken him through 12 NBA teams, and Charlotte is already seeing why his presence can matter in a tight game. The Hornets are 2-1 after the win, and with Washington up next, there is at least a growing sense that this group can compete when the pace picks up and the shots start falling. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Now Carries A Big Test For This Shorthanded Hornets Team
Charlottes current homestand has already shown how much the offense can swing from one night to the next, and Brandon Miller has been right at the center of it. After a quiet scoring night in a loss to Atlanta, he answered with 34 points in a win over Miami, a reminder of how much the Hornets lean on his shot-making when the tempo picks up and the margin for error shrinks.
The next stop brings another shorthanded opponent in Washington, but Charlottes own injury situation is what makes this feel like a real test. With several regulars unavailable, the Hornets will need Miller to carry more of the load again, not just as a scorer but as the player most capable of stabilizing the group when the rotation is thinned out and the game turns into a grind. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face An Early Test Their 2-1 Start Hasn't Answered
Charlottes 2-1 start has brought a little early momentum, but the next stretch offers a cleaner read on where this team really stands. The Hornets have already shown some resilience after taking a heavy loss, and theyve also proven they can rebound quickly after a rough night, which is part of what makes the opening week feel encouraging even if the schedule has been unforgiving.
Washington arrives with the kind of top-end talent that can tilt a game, and that is what gives this matchup its edge from the Wizards side. For Charlotte, the concern is less about the record and more about whether it can match that level of firepower for four quarters, especially after a game that asked plenty of its key scorers and exposed how thin the margin can be against a more star-driven opponent. [Read more 🡒]