Brandon Miller scored 32 points, but the Charlotte Hornets couldn’t generate enough offense as they lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 107-104.

The summary

Both teams started hot from the field, but the Hornets sustained it for longer. The Hawks, and Trae Young in particular, helped the Hornets out with a handful of very reckless turnovers. That meant that even though the Hawks shot 72% of the field compared to the Hornets’ 40%, the Hornets still led by three after one. Brandon Miller continued his high usage play without LaMelo Ball and got up 13 first quarter shots to score 14 points.

The second quarter was very disjointed. The Hornets funneled shot attempts to the Hawks’ weaker shooters, and it proved to be an effective strategy. However, the Hornets struggled to make their own shots, and it made for a very brick heavy game to watch. The Hawks, being an NBA team, eventually made a few shots. The Hornets struggled to do that and trailed by five at the break.

A series of easy interior baskets by the Hawks gave them a quick eight point lead in the fourth’s early going. Frequent Hornets closer Vasilije Micic made it a ballgame again late after the Hornets struggled to gain ground for most of the quarter. The Hornets eventually tied it on a tip in from Brandon Miller. The Hawks retook the lead on DeAndre Hunter layup where the Hornets wanted a travel call. He was slow to get up, which left him in perfect position for a cherry picked layup after the officials missed Micic getting hit on the arm trying to make a pass in transition. Miller kept the Hornets alive with a tough three in the corner, but he couldn’t do it twice in a row.

The Good

The Hornets have really picked up their defense in the last couple weeks. They spent a large chunk of the season as the worst defense in the league, but they’ve steadily climbed into the land of mediocrity. They’ve been able to successfully direct shots to the hands of opponents’ least dangerous players, and they’re starting to get good results. If they could start making shots on the other end of the floor, they might actually end up being a decent team.

Vasilije Micic had a very nice night filling in for LaMelo Ball. He scored 15 points and added eight rebounds and five assists. He hit some huge shots down the stretch, including an off the dribble three kind of out of nowhere when the Hornets desperately needed a score. It’s good to see him having success after he was glued to the bench early in the season.

Josh Green and Cody Martin are a super fun duo to watch on the floor. They’re a pair of junkyard dogs, and they brought some offense tonight as well. They combined for 29 points and brought their usual brand of high effort and tenacious defense. Green had another backcourt steal that led to an easy layup. They’re a perfect pair of role players to have on the wing.

Nick Richards made his return to the lineup and picked up where he left off. He had 12 points and three blocks in 25 minutes of court time. Most importantly, he gave the Hornets a threat to catch, finish, and/or get fouled around the basket. He and Micic had good chemistry in pick and roll situations, and that helped the offense Hornets get unstuck. Now if only Mark Williams can get healthy to pair with him.

KJ Simpson is starting to grow in confidence. He scored all eight of his points in the first half. He’s also impressively physical on defense given his size. The Hornets might have something there.

The Bad

Brandon Miller has been tasked with being the lead dog with LaMelo Ball out with injury, and he hasn’t been able to answer the bell in his first two opportunities. He shot just 7-of-25 from the field against the Knicks and at one point had the exact same shooting line in this game. The Hornets tried to create mismatches for him, but he struggled to create good looks, even if he had Trae Young matched up on him. Instead the offense bogged down trying to get looks for him. He’s still a great player, but he has some work to do to be the team’s go-to high usage creator on a nightly basis. He finished with 32 points, but it came on 10-of-30 shooting from the field.

Tidjane Salaün came off his best two games a pro with stinker tonight. He missed all eight of his shot attempts en route to a goose egg in the scoring column. He’s young. He’ll be alright. There are always going to be ups and downs. Let’s see how he bounces back.

What’s Next

The Hornets get a couple of days off before hosting the still bad 76ers on Tuesday.