By Sam Perley, hornets.com
Following a tough home loss to the Cavaliers two days earlier, the Hornets bounced back to grind out a 87-82 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, Nov. 29, in Charlotte. With the win pushing their record to now 10-7, the Hornets have reached double-digit victories by the end of November for the first time since the 2000-01 NBA campaign (Hornets reached second round of playoffs that season). Kemba Walker had another impressive outing for the Hornets, leading the way with a game-high 22 points while Khris Middleton notched a team-high 19 points to lead the Bucks in the loss.
Turning Points: A back-and-forth affair all afternoon would ultimately come down to the final minute as Charlotte’s Nicolas Batum drained a long-range shot with 45 seconds remaining to break an 80-80 tie and give the Hornets a three-point lead. The Bucks turned it over on their ensuing possession and Charlotte would take advantage, as a Kemba Walker floater from the free-throw line rolled in to give the Hornets a 85-80 lead with 24 seconds remaining in the game. Milwaukee failed to score again on the other end and Walker drained a pair of free throws down the stretch to seal Charlotte’s eighth win in ten appearances at Time Warner Cable Arena so far this season.
Inside the Box Score: Kemba Walker tallied his ninth-consecutive game scoring in double figures, finishing with a game-high 22 points… Nicolas Batum tallied 15 points, five rebounds and a team-high five assists…Jeremy Lamb finished with 14 points and a season-high-tying nine rebounds for his 13th double-digit scoring performance of the season… Marvin Williams also scored in double figures, tallying 12 points and seven rebounds… Spencer Hawes chipped in five points and a season-high eight rebounds off the bench for Charlotte… Khris Middleton led all Milwaukee scorers with 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field (4-of-9 from three-point range). Middleton also tied Milwaukee’s team high with six assists… Greg Monroe notched 17 points and a team-high 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season… O.J. Mayo (12), Jerryd Bayless (11) and Jabari Parker (10) also scored in double figures for the Bucks… Bayless also dished out a team-high-tying six assists for Milwaukee… Charlotte connected on 15-of-31 attempts from three-point range (48.4 percent), which tied a franchise record for most made three-pointers in a game. The Bucks were successful on just 8-of-28 shots from long distance (28.6 percent)… The Hornets’ bench outscored the Milwaukee bench, 34-15… The Bucks edged out Charlotte in the rebounding battle, 46-43, which includes 13 offensive rebounds for the Bucks compared to just seven by the Hornets.
Hornets Player of the Game: Kemba Walker shined again for the hometown Hornets, leading the way with a game-high 22 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Charlotte victory. Walker now has five games this season with 20-or-more points, three of which have come in his last five games.
Bucks Player of the Game: Khris Middleton put together a fine performance for the visiting Bucks, finishing with a team-high 19 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals in the defeat. Middleton, who finished just two points shy of his season high, has now scored 15-or-more points in four-consecutive games for Milwaukee, which is his longest streak of the season.
Game Notes: Kemba Walker played his 300th career game for Charlotte, becoming the 12th player in franchise history to reach this milestone… Al Jefferson left the game in the first quarter and did not return (calf)… Bucks head coach Jason Kidd returned from a one-game suspension… Greivis Vasquez did not play for Milwaukee (ankle)… the Hornets have now won eight of their last nine games against the Bucks.
Next Up: The Hornets will take on the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2 in Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.
