February 23 - The Hornets defeated the Wizards 129-112. LaMelo Ball scored 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, including 18 points in the third quarter, completely taking over the game; Knipple contributed 28 points, becoming a key offensive contributor.

In the first quarter, the Hornets established a lead through fast breaks and outside shooting, at one point extending their advantage to double digits. Koulibaly scored 15 points in the quarter, and the Hornets led 38-37 at the end of the first quarter . In the second quarter, the Hornets started with a small run to further extend their lead. The Hornets relied on Ball to orchestrate the offense, while Miller and Green also provided consistent output. At halftime, the Hornets maintained a 61-56 lead.

After switching sides, Ball scored 18 points in the second quarter, leading the Hornets on a 44-28 run and quickly extending their lead to over 20 points. The Hornets dominated on both ends of the court, leading 105-84 at the end of the third quarter . In the final quarter, the Wizards narrowed the gap to 17 points at one point, but couldn't contain the Hornets' balanced offense. Hardy scored 11 points in the quarter to keep the Hornets in the game. Ultimately, the Hornets easily defeated the Wizards 129-112 .

Hornets player statistics

Ball 37 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists; Knipple 28 points , 7 rebounds , 4 assists; Miller 22 points , 4 rebounds, 3 assists; Green 12 points, 4 rebounds , 1 assist; Saron 9 points , 2 rebounds , 1 assist; Kalckbrenner 6 points , 9 rebounds , 2 assists; Mann 6 points, 3 assists; Williams 5 points , 4 rebounds , 5 assists; Connaughton 2 points , 3 rebounds

Wizards player data

Koulibaly 17 points , 2 rebounds, 2 assists; Hardy 16 points, 3 rebounds , 1 assist; George 13 points , 2 rebounds , 1 assist; Watkins 13 points, 4 rebounds , 1 assist; Johnson 11 points , 1 rebound , 3 assists; Riley 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists; Cooper 9 points , 3 rebounds , 3 assists; Gil 8 points , 5 rebounds , 4 assists; Williams 8 points, 8 rebounds , 3 assists

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