CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Those handy navigation apps probably got utilized heavily by the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday considering the length of time they spent away from home.
A lengthy trip had them on the road for nearly two weeks, so no one could blame the Hornets if they needed a little electronic assistance to recall their respective routes to the Spectrum Center. This was also the kind of game that causes concerns given the quick turnaround following a winding excursion mostly dotting the Pacific Time zone.
“We only got one day back,” coach Steve Clifford said. “I thought our energy level surprised me this morning. It was good. Usually you get two days off and they have time to kind of get back to East Coast time, and we didn’t get that. So, these games can be funky for sure but every team plays them.”
There’s little doubt the Hornets enjoyed the gritty 121-113 win over Oklahoma City. Trotting out their true projected starting lineup in a home game for the first time all season, the Hornets tightened things up in the second half and rode a balanced offensive attack to snap a five-game losing streak in their home arena.
Here are some key takeaways from the Hornets’ victory:
Still on the Mark
Although Nick Richards made a speedy return from a sprained right ankle following a two-game absence, his presence didn’t push Mark Williams completely out of the rotation.
Williams still served as the primary backup to Mason Plumlee, and he turned in a career performance, posting 19 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. And that could be the situation for the rookie for the next couple of games provided he stays on the same trajectory he’s displayed during his first round of meaningful minutes.
“I’m going to play Mark for a bit here, though,” Clifford said. “I like the way he played. Nick’s going to be a big part of things going forward. We’ll see how he feels. He won’t be 100 percent. Mark’s the only guy that we have — everybody else has gotten a good, fair chance to play ... and Mark has not.”
LaMelo is streaking
Remember when people were questioning LaMelo Ball’s jumper and whether he could consistently knock down shots from deep? Looks like he’s answered them.
By draining 5-of-10 attempts against Oklahoma City, Ball extended his streak of games with multiple made 3-pointers to 11, which is the longest of his career. He came in shooting 36.6% beyond the arc and is as confident as ever from that range, letting the attempts flow effortlessly and without hesitation.
Ball’s 27-point effort also marked the 10th consecutive game he’s netted at least 20. That hasn’t happened since Kemba Walker accomplished the feat in 11 consecutive outings in 2016.
He came close to recording his first triple-double of the season, collecting 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Half day for Kelly
After sitting out Tuesday night’s loss to Golden State in San Francisco and originally being listed as doubtful against the Thunder, Kelly Oubre was back.
For all of a half.
Oubre scored six points, draining just 2-of-9 shots in 14 minutes before experiencing more soreness in his sprained left hand and wasn’t available in the second half for Clifford to use in his typical sixth-man role.
JT Thor picked up some of the extra minutes in the second half and struggled mightily. The second-year forward misfired badly on all three shot attempts and was a liability at times, unable to contribute anything of significance.
