Hornets Reactions: Charlotte stuns Sacramento with miracle rally in final minute
The Hornets pulled off a stunning rally in the final 55 seconds on Sunday night to stun the Kings for a 127-126 win.
Malik Monk’s and-one layup with 1.4 seconds left tied and eventually gave the visitors the lead after the freebie, capping off a 12-3 run in the final 53 seconds of the game.
Terry Rozier scored six points in the run with a three-pointer and three free throws, cutting the margin to 123-121. Washington buried a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to cut the lead back down to one point at 125-124 after a Fox layup.
After a hobbled Buddy Hield split a pair of free throws with 10.7 seconds left, Monk got to the rim and finished through the contact of Richaun Holmes to tie the game before winning it with a free throw. Hield’s heave from beyond half court was short and the Hornets escaped with an improbable win.
Washington finished with a career high 42 points while LaMelo Ball added 24 points and 12 assists. Monk added 21 off the bench.
The Good: P.J. Washington
Washington's strong stretch of performances took another big step on Sunday as he set a new career high in points. Coming into the night, Washington was averaging 14.3 points and nearly tripled that on the night. He picked a great night to go off for a career-high total. With the Hornets down the majority of their starting lineup, Washington's scoring was sorely needed. He hit a number of shots down the stretch in the fourth quarter to keep the game tight. While it wasn't enough, it wasn't Washington's fault on the night. Honorable mentions: The final 90 seconds, Malik Monk's game-winner
The Bad: Terry Rozier
While Washington couldn't have picked a better night to shine, Terry Rozier could not have picked a worse night to no-show. Playing at nearly an All-Star pace in February, Rozier had just eight points on the night with six of those coming in the final 90 seconds. He was just 2-of-9 from the field, 1-of-4 from the 3-point line and turned the ball over five times. All be told, he showed up late in the game to help earn the improbable win so it's hard to be too harsh on him.
LaMelo Ball: Double-double machine
With Graham and Hayward out and Rozier struggling, Ball had the keys to the offense throughout the night and specifically in the fourth. He finished with 24 points and 12 assists, his seventh double-double on the season. No other rookie has more than three on the year. Ball was efficient from the field, going 7-of-12 overall and 1-of-2 from the 3-point line. Most impressive, though, was his 9-of-10 shooting at the line, a career-high in attempts and makes.
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