Recap: Wizards’ comeback falls short in 117-116 loss to Hornets

Dec 3, 2022 - 2:41 AM

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The Washington Wizards lost to the Charlotte Hornets, 117-116 on Friday night in Charlotte.

Washington shot 55 percent in the first half, better than Charlotte. But thanks to a turnover-filled half (Washington committed 8 (of their 14 overall) in the first half vs. Charlotte’s 3), that put the Wizards in a 74-59 deficit at halftime.

You would think that the Wizards’ efficient shooting would cool down in the third quarter and it did. Washington shot 37 percent from the field. But the Hornets still managed to shoot 42.9 percent overall. That allowed Charlotte to get into the fourth quarter with a commanding 107-88 lead.

From here, Washington was able to cut the lead into single digits. But it simply wasn’t enough. Yes, the Wizards made a great comeback and only allowed the Hornets to shoot 17.4 percent from the field for the ENTIRE QUARTER. Bradley Beal scored a season-high 33 points. They had a chance to win the game in the last minute. But a Beal shot attempt with seconds left just wasn’t enough.

Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points for Washington tonight. And Daniel Gafford came off the bench for a double double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks!

For the Hornets, Terry Rozier scored 25 points and Kelly Oubre, Jr. added 22 more.

Ultimately, this was a bad loss. The Hornets were just 6-14 heading into this game and looked like they WANTED to lose the game. The Wizards dug themselves a bigger hole early on than they had to. And now, they are 11-12.

The Wizards’ next game is against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. ET. See you then.