Hornets Survive Late Wizards Surge Behind Trio of Double-Doubles
The Charlotte Hornets didn’t exactly cruise to victory Saturday afternoon, but they did enough - just enough - to hold off the Washington Wizards in a game that was equal parts electric and erratic. Three Hornets notched double-doubles, and while the fourth quarter nearly unraveled everything, Charlotte escaped with a win that highlights both their growing chemistry and their lingering flaws.
Fast Start, Sloppy Finish
This one started like a glorified shootaround. The Wizards came out firing, dropping 17 points in the first four minutes before the Hornets found their footing.
Charlotte responded with a 13-0 run to swing momentum, but the game never truly settled into a rhythm. Collin Sexton’s early minutes were rough - a quick sequence of miscues including a turnover, a technical foul, and a missed shot - and the Hornets closed the first quarter with four straight empty possessions.
That opened the door for Washington to cut the lead to one heading into the second.
The second quarter followed a similar script. Charlotte turned it over on their first possession, then finally settled in. A 15-0 run helped them rebuild a cushion, and threes from Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington closed the half with the Hornets up by eight.
Third Quarter Execution
Coming out of halftime, head coach Charles Lee dialed up a clean look for Kon Knueppel, who buried a three to set the tone. Brandon Miller followed with a smooth midrange jumper, and just like that, the Hornets were rolling again. The Wizards’ three-point barrage - a staple of their offense all game - cooled off just enough for Charlotte to extend their lead to 12 heading into the final frame.
Knueppel opened the fourth with a steal that led to a Sexton triple. Then LaMelo Ball jumped a passing lane, took it coast-to-coast, and converted a tough and-one layup. It looked like the Hornets were ready to put the game away.
But then the wheels wobbled.
Fourth Quarter Collapse (Almost)
After that brief burst of energy to start the fourth, the Hornets’ offense completely stalled. Possessions became disjointed, often starting with under 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Instead of attacking, Charlotte seemed more focused on draining the clock - a dangerous game against a young, energetic Wizards team that thrives in transition.
Washington took advantage. They got second-chance points, easy runouts, and slowly chipped away at the deficit.
By the midway point of the fourth, the Hornets' once-comfortable lead had been trimmed to five. Charlotte's offense was stuck in the mud, but their stars - particularly Miller and LaMelo - came through when it mattered most.
Both hit tough, contested shots to keep the Hornets ahead. And when the Wizards missed a couple of key looks late, Knueppel and Miles Bridges stepped up at the free-throw line to close it out.
What Worked: Defense & Star Power
Defensively, the Hornets did a solid job for most of the afternoon. Washington took a ton of threes - at one point, nearly two-thirds of their shot attempts were from beyond the arc - and that was by design.
Charlotte’s defense kept the Wizards out of the paint and forced them into tough jumpers. The Wizards hit some, but not enough to swing the game.
On the offensive end, the Hornets’ core four - Miller, Ball, Bridges, and Knueppel - all delivered. Each scored between 16 and 21 points while contributing across the board in rebounds and assists. It’s clear this group is starting to click, and the chemistry is showing in spurts, even if the execution isn’t always clean.
LaMelo Ball finished with 20 points and 11 assists, continuing to orchestrate the offense while adding a few highlight-reel plays. Miller, meanwhile, continues to evolve into a go-to scorer.
His ability to create inside the arc gives Charlotte a weapon they haven’t had since Kemba Walker’s heyday. He also showed off his playmaking chops, dishing out seven assists when the Wizards tried to double him.
Moussa Diabate added the third double-double of the day with his work on the glass, rounding out a strong frontcourt effort.
What Needs Work: Turnovers and Late-Game Execution
The turnover bug bit hard. Charlotte coughed it up 21 times, and many of them were simply unforced - errant passes, miscommunication, and soft ball security.
Against a team like the Wizards, you might get away with it. Against playoff-caliber squads, that’s a recipe for disaster.
Then there’s the fourth-quarter offense. The Hornets got way too passive, running the clock down and settling for late-clock isolation plays.
That might work when you’ve got elite shot-makers - and thankfully, Miller and LaMelo bailed them out this time - but it’s not a sustainable strategy. The Hornets need to find a way to stay aggressive and organized in crunch time.
Looking Ahead
The Hornets will try to ride this momentum into Monday night, when they’re scheduled to host the Philadelphia 76ers - assuming winter weather doesn’t interfere. If they can clean up the turnovers and maintain their defensive intensity, this group has the tools to keep climbing. But they’ll need to tighten things up, especially in the fourth quarter, if they want to turn close wins into convincing ones.