Game analysis: Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets
How the Hornets Beat the Wizards
Charlotte controlled the glass to create the extra chances that shaped the game. A 35–23 second quarter turned a two-point deficit into a 10-point halftime lead, and a 7–0 burst put the Hornets ahead for good. Brandon Miller scored 39 points, while Moussa Diabate grabbed 17 rebounds and Naz Reid added 12. Washington cut the margin to five with 2:34 left, but Charlotte scored 10 of the remaining 18 points to hold on despite shooting worse from the field and being outscored in the paint.
The biggest reason
Rebounding
ReboundsCHA 54vsWSH 41
Also mattered
+12Second-quarter swing
+2Closing stretch
+4Steals
Game flow
When the lead changed
WSHCHA
WSH's biggest lead was 4 points · CHA's was 14 points · 8 lead changes
Quarter-by-quarter momentum
Quarter winners and scoring margin
Q1
WSH21
CHA19
WSH won by 2
Q2Biggest margin
WSH23
CHA35
CHA won by 12
Q3
WSH24
CHA26
CHA won by 2
Q4
WSH35
CHA30
WSH won by 5
Game turning points
Moments identified from the scoring timeline
Final lead changeQ2 · 8:47
Charlotte Hornets went ahead and did not trail again.
WSH 26–CHA 27
Late-game pressureQ4 · 1:13
The game was within five points late, with Charlotte Hornets ahead.
WSH 100–CHA 103
Momentum swings
Key runs
5 runs · 7+ unanswered points
Q1 · 8:08–6:39
Charlotte Hornets9–0run
WSH 6 – CHA 4→WSH 6 – CHA 13
Q2 · 2:30–1:19
Charlotte Hornets8–0run
WSH 38 – CHA 43→WSH 38 – CHA 51
Q3 · 6:40–4:43
Charlotte Hornets8–0run
WSH 59 – CHA 60→WSH 59 – CHA 68
Q3 · 3:06–1:00Largest run
Charlotte Hornets10–0run
WSH 64 – CHA 68→WSH 64 – CHA 78
Q4 · 6:16–5:15
Charlotte Hornets8–0run
WSH 84 – CHA 90→WSH 84 – CHA 98
Players who shaped the game
Player impact
From the box score
Washington Wizards
WSH
Leading scorerAnthony Davis
29PTS10REB0AST1STL0BLK
Impact contributorTrae Young
22PTS6REB10AST0STL0BLK
Impact contributorKyshawn George
20PTS4REB2AST0STL1BLK
Charlotte Hornets
CHA
Leading scorerBrandon Miller
39PTS6REB1AST3STL2BLK
Impact contributorMoussa Diabate
11PTS17REB3AST1STL3BLK
Impact contributorNaz Reid
18PTS12REB1AST1STL0BLK
Team performance
Biggest advantages and setbacks
What the winner did best—and what it overcame
Advantages
Total reboundsWinner edge
Charlotte Hornets had a 13 edge in total rebounds.
WSH 41CHA 54
StealsWinner edge
Charlotte Hornets had a 4 edge in steals.
WSH 4CHA 8
BlocksWinner edge
Charlotte Hornets had a 2 edge in blocks.
WSH 3CHA 5
Setbacks
Field-goal shootingOpponent edge
Charlotte Hornets trailed in field-goal shooting by 5 percentage points.
WSH 48%CHA 43%
AssistsOpponent edge
Charlotte Hornets trailed in assists by 4.
WSH 21CHA 17
The numbers behind the win
Evidence
6 signals
Rebounding
Charlotte's control of the glass helped compensate for Washington's better overall shooting.
WSH41
CHA54
Offensive rebounding
The Hornets doubled Washington's offensive-rebound total, repeatedly extending possessions.
WSH10
CHA20
Second-quarter swing
Charlotte erased its first-quarter deficit and carried a 10-point advantage into halftime.
WSH23
CHA35
Brandon Miller
39 PTS, 15-28 FG, 5-10 3PT
Miller supplied Charlotte's largest individual scoring contribution.
Closing stretch
After Washington cut the deficit to five with 2:34 remaining, Charlotte preserved its lead through the final stretch.
WSH8
CHA10
Editorial turning point
7-0 run from 8:47 to 7:52 of the second quarter
Charlotte went from trailing by one to leading by six, and Washington never regained the lead.
This game’s Winning DNA
How Charlotte Hornets got it done.
The winning formula behind this game.
Charlotte Hornets
Rebounding
55%
Superstar Performance
35%
Clutch Execution
10%
Editorial weights for this game — not fan-vote percentages or official NBA statistics.
Team Comparison
Washington Wizards103 PTSVSSpectrum CenterCharlotte Hornets110 PTS
41-85
FG
42-97
9-28
3PT
12-39
12-15
FT
14-17
41
REB
54
21
AST
17
4
STL
8
3
BLK
5
14
TO
12
The Debate
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