WASHINGTON — LaMelo Ball had 38 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his 11th career triple-double, and the Charlotte Hornets erased a double-digit halftime deficit Sunday night to defeat the Washington Wizards 139-113.
Kon Knueppel, the No. 4 pick in June’s draft, had 11 of his 20 points during Charlotte’s third-quarter surge and Miles Bridges scored 22 points as the Hornets ended a five-game skid against Washington. Collin Sexton added 20 for Charlotte.
The Hornets shot 67.4% in the second half, including 12 of 16 from 3-point range.
CJ McCollum scored 24 points and Alex Sarr scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half for the Wizards, who received some boos late in their home opener.
Washington took a 62-51 lead into halftime when Sarr hit a 22-footer at the buzzer to establish the first double-digit lead for either team. The Wizards briefly pushed their advantage, but Charlotte quickly brought the margin back to single digits before gradually wearing down Washington’s defense.
Ball’s 3-pointer to make it 85-82 gave Charlotte the lead for good, and rookie Sion James scored back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 93-86 and cap a 19-4 run. James scored all 13 of his points in the second half.
Ball assisted on Bridges’ 3-pointer with 7:52 left to make it 110-100 and post his first triple-double since November 5, 2023.
Charlotte outscored the Wizards 44-25 in the fourth quarter.
Washington’s Tre Johnson, the sixth pick in June’s draft, had 18 points in his home debut.
Kyshawn George, who is coming off a career-high 34 points in Friday’s 117-107 win at Dallas, had six points for the Wizards.
Charlotte guard Brandon Miller sat out after leaving Saturday’s loss at Philadelphia with a shoulder injury.
Hornets: Visit Miami on Tuesday
Wizards: Host Philadelphia on Tuesday
——
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
