South Charlotte Today

The Phoenix Suns secured a 120-113 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, evening their season series at one win each. The Hornets faced defeat after an unexpected six-day break in play.

Mark Williams led the Hornets with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists, achieving season-highs in both points and rebounds. LaMelo Ball contributed 25 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. Miles Bridges added 21 points along with five rebounds and five assists. Brandon Miller scored 19 points and had six assists.

Devin Booker was the top scorer for the Suns with 28 points and seven assists. Kevin Durant contributed 25 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Grayson Allen scored 13 points in the first half but did not return after halftime due to injury.

The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Phoenix took a lead they maintained until the end of the game. Despite holding a nine-point advantage with under seven minutes remaining, Charlotte could not sustain their performance as Durant's crucial shots and rookie Oso Ighodaro's consecutive dunks sealed the game for Phoenix.

Williams' performance stood out as he logged a career-high in one half with 22 points and 13 rebounds, including six offensive boards in the second quarter alone.

Charlotte won the rebounding battle by grabbing more boards than Phoenix but could not convert this advantage into a win. The Hornets showed promise offensively, particularly on second-chance opportunities.

The teams split their season series within six days, each winning once. Charlotte’s offense has shown improvement recently but still needs consistency throughout games.

Hornets center Mark Williams remarked postgame: “We just need to do it [play to the team’s full potential] for the course of 48 minutes. Obviously, we did it in the first half, and a little bit in the third quarter. But I think for us, it’s doing it in the fourth and closing the game with the right intensity, doing what we were doing in the first part of the game. Finding a way to win, really.”

Looking ahead, Charlotte continues its road trip against Utah Jazz on Wednesday followed by Chicago Bulls on Friday as they aim to improve their record against these teams this season.