The Charlotte Hornets earned a win on the road in their season opener, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, 107-96.
The Hornets (1-0) started out hot, jumping to a 15-point lead by halftime. Point guard Kemba Walker, the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award in 2015-16, led the charge for the Hornets with his distribution, posting eight assists and only two turnovers. Walker struggled with his shot, however, hitting just 5 of 15 field goal attempts. Sophomore Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, on the other hand, stepped up his offensive game after missing the bulk of the 2015-16 season. The former second overall pick scored a team-high 23 points and crashed the glass for 14 rebounds. Another change in the Hornets lineup was the presence of newly-acquired big man Roy Hibbert. The former Pacers All-Star recorded 15 points and five blocks in his debut with Charlotte.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, took over for the Bucks (0-1), dropping in a game-high 31 points to go along with nine rebounds and five assists. Support from his teammates was lacking, however, as no other Buck scored more than 14 points. Lackluster three-point shooting hampered the Bucks’ comeback efforts, as the team hit only three shots from beyond the arc. New faces Matthew Dellavadova and Mirza Teletovic made their debuts with Milwaukee in relatively quiet fashion, combining for just 17 points and six rebounds while approaching 30 minutes each.
The Hornets will visit the Heat on Friday, while Milwaukee will play host to the Nets on Saturday.
