By Matt Gorry, hornets.com
Galleries: Game Action | Honey Bees | Fans
Video: Kemba Game Winner | Coach Clifford | Kemba Walker | Lance Stephenson | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Gary Neal | Al Jefferson | Live at the Hive | Opening Night Live: Hornets Return | Pregame with Patrick
The Result
Kemba Walker cemented the Hornets comeback to the NBA in grand style. Walker drained the game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime before knocking down the game-winner with 5.1 ticks left to power the largest comeback in Charlotte NBA history as the Hornets outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-106, in front of a sellout crowd at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Turning Points
After Brandon Knight buried a long 3-point bucket midway through the third quarter, Charlotte Head Coach Steve Clifford called a timeout with his team down 24 at 74-50. From there, Kemba Walker carried the Hornets on a 50-26 run that spanned the final 18 minutes of regulation, setting up Walker’s heroics at the horn… In the extra session, Marvin Williams sank back-to-back baseline jumpers to keep Charlotte even before Gary Neal laid it up in traffic to tie the game, 106-106. After a Jabari Parker miss with 29.9 seconds remaining, Neal rebounded the ball and the Hornets called another timeout. With the shot clock winding down, Walker hit a step-back jumper with 5.1 seconds remaining to put the Hornets ahead for good.
Inside the Box Score
Five Hornets reached double-figures for the game, led by Kemba Walker’s 26… Marvin Williams shined in his regular-season debut, finishing 8-of-12 from the field for 19 points. He added four rebounds and three assists… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist tallied 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots… Al Jefferson turned in a double-double of 14 points and 10 boards with four blocks and two steals… Cody Zeller came off the bench and finished with 11 points and two rebounds… Lance Stephenson stuffed the stat sheet in his Hornet debut, nearly missing a triple-double with seven points, and team highs in rebounds (13) and assists (eight).
Hornets Player of the Game
Kemba Walker put the Hornets on his back down the stretch, hitting the game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to overtime before drilling a step-back jumper with 5.1 seconds remaining on the shot clock for the game-winner. Walker led all scorers with 26 points, including three treys, while adding six rebounds and five assists.
“His intangibles are what makes him who he is,” Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford said postgame. “His game is improving, but his competitiveness is contagious with his teammates. He’s courageous.”
Bucks Player of the Game
Brandon Knight went toe-to-toe with Kemba Walker in a showdown of young point guards, pouring in a team-high 22 points with 13 dimes and eight boards. Knight was 5-of-17 from the floor but shot a perfect 10-of-10 from the line.
Game Notes
The Hornets tipped off in front of an announced sellout crowd of 19,439 in their first game in 12 years… Charlotte used a 50-35 rebounding advantage to fuel its 24-point comeback… Gerald Henderson returned from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the entire preseason, playing in nearly nine minutes. He was 0-for-2 from the floor with an offensive rebound and a steal… Gary Neal came on in relief and finished with six points, four boards and two assists… Jason Maxiell and Brian Roberts added four points apiece.
Next Up
The Hornets square off with the visiting Memphis Grizzlies Nov. 1 at Time Warner Cable Arena. The game can be seen on FOX SportSouth and heard on WFNZ or on the Hornets mobile app.