Hawks Rout Hornets 128-81 in Charlotte in First Game Without Ball

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The first home game of the post-LaMelo Ball era went about as badly as it could for the Charlotte Hornets, who were run off their own floor 128-81 by the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

The 47-point margin is the biggest win the Hawks have ever recorded, one point better than their 126-80 victory over Sacramento in November 2017. Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 19 points to go with eight assists and seven rebounds, and Aaron Wiggins matched his scoring total off the bench while hitting 7 of 9 shots. All five Hawks starters scored in double digits, with Nickell Alexander-Walker chipping in 14 points and C.J. McCollum adding 13.

Charlotte coughed the ball up 14 times before halftime, and Atlanta turned those mistakes into 15 fast-break points on the way to a 25-point lead at the break. A sellout crowd of 19,524 booed the Hornets as they left the court at halftime, and the jeers only grew as the Hawks stretched the gap to 49 in the fourth quarter.

The home fans had expected more from a club that won 44 games a season ago, and many were already unhappy with the trade that sent Ball away. Brandon Miller, who signed a five-year, $209 million extension this week, scored just six points and missed 10 of his 11 tries from 3-point range. Through two games he has made 4 of 25 from deep.

Charlotte again played without Kon Knueppel, who has a hamstring injury, guard Coby White, who is nursing a calf problem, and forward Grant Williams, also out with a hamstring injury. Coach Charles Lee said all three are making progress in rehab but gave no return date. The Hornets get a quick chance to bounce back when they host Miami on Saturday night, while Atlanta goes home to face Houston.

Filed under: Charlotte NC Sports News