Brandon Miller scored 27 points and the Charlotte Hornets overcame an 18 point second half deficit to defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 115-114.

The Summary

The Hornets scored in multiples of three to start the game, and the Hawks matched them every step of the way. They had a brief lead that got overtaken by an 8-0 Hawks run and spent most of the first quarter in a modest deficit. Both teams found scoring relatively easy, and the quarter ended with the Hawks up 35-30.

The Hornets evened the game after a couple of steals, but they were answered by a pair of deep Dylan Windler threes that got the people going. Brandon Miller was quick to silence the people with one of the better dunks of his young career.

BRANDON. MILLER. HAPPENED. pic.twitter.com/rjCCEAyYNI

— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) April 11, 2024

Both teams went cold after the fireworks. The Hawks tattooed guards hit back to back threes late in the second quarter and Bogdan Bogdanovic added his own to make it three straight. The run gave the Hawks a six point lead at the break.

The Hawks scored seven straight to start the second half, but Brandon Miller knocked down a three to halt the run. Bogdanovic found his groove after a rough first half. His 3-pointers and assists helped the Hawks to a 17 point lead just over midway through the third. The lead reached 18 in the later parts of the quarter as the Hornets defense kept parting and making way for easy drives to the basket with Kobe Bufkin making the most notable of those. The Hornets trailed by 15 heading into the decisive fourth quarter.

Brandon Miller hit yet another three to open the fourth quarter scoring. It was the start of a furious run. Grant Williams, JT Thor, Tre Mann, and Davis Bertans all added their own contributions to a 17-5 Hornets run that pulled the Hornets within a possession of the Hawks with over seven minutes left in the game. Vit Krejci hit a pair of threes to temporarily keep the Hornets at bay, but he and the Hawks couldn’t do that forever. The Hawks had a possession with under four minutes to go where they airballed two 3-point attempts, a sign of what was to come. Miles Bridges tied the game with a pair of free throws, then Grant Williams gave the Hornets the lead with his own free throws.

Trent Forrest scored six points for the Hawks. All six of those came consecutively in the last two minutes of the game and put the Hawks up three with 34 seconds to go. He had a free throw to put the Hawks up four, but he drew back iron. Brandon Miller drew a quick foul to leave enough time for a 2-for-1. He canned both free throws to pull the Hornets back within one with 29.8 seconds left, meaning the Hawks had to put a shot up. It was a heavily contested definitely not fouled layup attempt by Bruno Fernando that missed badly. Miles Bridges grabbed the rebound and took it coast to coast for the go ahead layup. The game fittingly ended with Tre Mann taking the ball from Trent Forrest.

By the way, Trae Young didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter, which may or may not have aided the Hornets comeback.

The Good

Brandon Miller had a handful of highlight plays and continues to climb the all time rookie 3-point ladder. He hit another five 3-pointers to pull him within two of Damian Lillard for third most all time. It’s just another two after that to equal Donovan Mitchell for second on that list. He finished with a game high 27 points. There has been no such things as a rookie wall.

I made mention of Tre Mann’s ball pressure in the recap of the Mavericks game, and he made me look smart in the follow-up. He tallied a career high and tied an NBA season high with seven steals. He had a couple of pick-sixes that he seems to get every game. He added 16 points and seven assists to go with those.

Miles Bridges and Grant Williams were there usual steady selves.

Aleksej Pokusevski seems to be getting more confident in a Hornets uniform. He had 10 points and six rebounds and has been more assertive and decisive.

The Bad

The Spurs lost by a million points to the Thunder, meaning the Hornets and Spurs are now tied for the third worst record in the league. It probably won’t matter all that much in this draft, but still.

Vasilije Micic had probably his worst game as a Hornet. He didn’t make a shot from the field and his -14 plus-minus was worst on the team. He just didn’t have the juice tonight.

What’s Next

The Hornets head north for their penultimate game of the season against the league best Boston Celtics.