By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com
The Result
The Hornets entered their final road preseason game without the services of four potential starters – Al Jefferson (rest), Lance Stephenson (groin), Marvin Williams (elbow) and Gerald Henderson (hamstring) – but fought back from their third double-digit deficit away from Time Warner Cable Arena and forced overtime before falling to the Hawks, 117-114, on Oct. 20 in Atlanta.
Turning Points
Behind five points and three assists from Kemba Walker and four points and two rebounds from rookie Noah Vonleh, who made his preseason debut after missing the first six games following sports hernia surgery, Charlotte entered the second frame tied, 24-24. The Hawks opened the second quarter on a 10-0 run and pushed the lead to 58-43 at the break. Still, the Hornets wouldn’t go away, outscoring Atlanta by 10 in the third (34-24) and five in the fourth (27-22) to force overtime. Cody Zeller had a chance to give Charlotte a one-point lead with 14 seconds left in regulation but only connected on one of two free throws, giving the Hawks at a last-second chance for the win. However, DeMarre Carroll’s potential game winner was off target and the game went to OT. Things stayed close in the extra stanza and rookie P.J. Hairston had the chance to bury a 3-pointer to send the game to a second overtime, but came up just short as Atlanta took the victory.
Inside the Box Score
Both the Hornets (41-of-92) and Hawks (38-of-84) finished the game shooting 45 percent from the field, but Charlotte outshot Atlanta 36 percent (8-of-22) to 28 percent (7-of-25) from long range and 83 percent (24-of-29) to 81 percent (34-of-42) at the charity stripe… Charlotte battled back in the second half by winning the battle on the glass. It outrebounded Atlanta, 52-40, in the contest, and held a 13-7 advantage on the offensive boards. Bismack Biyombo got the start for Al Jefferson and brought down a game-high 10 rebounds, while veteran Jason Maxiell had seven rebounds to go with nine points.
Hornets Player of the Game
Gary Neal got the start at shooting guard with Lance Stephenson and Gerald Henderson out and nearly recorded a triple-double. He tied Paul Millsap with a game-high 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dropped seven dimes and was a catalyst for the Hornets second-half comeback.
Hawks Player of the Game
Atlanta big man Paul Millsap filled the stat sheet with a game-high-tying 21 points to go with six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
Game Notes
The Hornets balanced scoring attack continued against the Hawks. For the second-straight contest, Charlotte had six players finish in double-digit scoring, also marking the fifth time in seven preseason games at least five Hornets finished with 10 points or more… Cody Zeller impressed in his first start of the preseason for the Hornets, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, while adding eight rebounds and five assists before fouling out in overtime… Kemba Walker finished with 17 points and a game-high eight assists to go with four rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots… Brian Roberts was effective off the bench, leading Charlotte’s reserves with 14 points while adding three assists and three rebounds… P.J. Hairston added 11 points, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 10 more to round out the Hornets double-digit scorers… Noah Vonleh finished with four points, four rebounds and two steals in his first 19 minutes of preseason action.
Next Up
The Hornets return home for their final preseason contest of 2014 when they take on the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. on Oct. 23 at Time Warner Cable Arena. The game can be heard on WFNZ or on the Hornets mobile app.