CHARLOTTE, N.C. — LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier each scored 17 points and the Charlotte Hornets came back to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-103 on Monday night for their fifth straight win.
Miles Bridges added 15 points and Mason Plumlee had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Charlotte, which trailed most of the second half and overcame 17 turnovers.
CJ McCollum scored 27 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 24 points and 18 rebounds for the Pelicans, who had their two-game win streak snapped.
The Pelicans took an 84-76 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Hornets rallied to take the lead when Bridges knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to put Charlotte up by one with 2:12 left.
Jaxson Hayes briefly gave the Pelicans the lead back with a pair of free throws, but P.J. Washington scored on a driving left-handed floater across the lane and then found Plumlee cutting down the middle for a dunk to put Charlotte ahead for good.
Ball's floater with 8.9 seconds left put Charlotte up 106-103.
The Pelicans had a chance to tie, but the Hornets swarmed McCollum on the inbounds play and he could never get a clear look at the basket. The ball got knocked away and Devonte Graham's desperate heave at the buzzer didn't hit anything, allowing the Hornets to escape with the win.
It was a sloppy game from the start, with the teams combining for just 41 points in the first quarter. Bad passes were more common than good shots.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Herbert Jones was ejected in the third quarter for a flagrant 2 foul when he elbowed Bridges in the head. Jones finished with five points. ... Brandon Ingram did not play due to right hamstring soreness.
Hornets: Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and his wife, Nicole, sat courtside.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
Hornets: Host the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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