South Charlotte Today

The Charlotte Hornets faced a challenging game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending with a 114-93 loss on Monday night. This marked a stark contrast to their previous visit in January 2024, where they achieved a remarkable comeback victory.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 19 points but struggled with efficiency, hitting only 6 of his 15 attempts. Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Tre Mann each contributed 10 points. Bridges also secured six rebounds, while Mann provided six assists.

Naz Reid from the Timberwolves stood out with a season-high 25 points on efficient shooting and nine rebounds in just 26 minutes off the bench. Reid's performance included making five out of seven three-point attempts.

The game's turning point came after a tied first quarter at 24-24. Minnesota surged ahead with a 15-4 run and capitalized on five turnovers to win the second quarter by 33-21, securing a significant halftime lead. Although Charlotte attempted comebacks in the third quarter, Minnesota maintained control and extended their lead.

Charlotte's offense struggled against Minnesota's formidable defense, scoring only 93 points and achieving a season-low three-point percentage of 23.8%. The Hornets also faced challenges in bench scoring as Minnesota's reserves significantly outperformed them.

A size disadvantage compounded Charlotte's difficulties due to missing top centers Mark Williams and Nick Richards. Coach Charles Lee experimented by starting veteran Taj Gibson at center against Rudy Gobert but found it hard to compete against Minnesota's robust frontline.

Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee commented on the game: “Give credit to Minnesota for its physicality and length, but I also think we got some pretty good shots in that first half. We didn’t knock them down and obviously weren’t shooting it well from 3-point range on the game."

Looking ahead, the Hornets will begin a two-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, November 6th at 7 PM ET.