CHARLOTTE, N.C. — P.J. Washington had 25 points as the Charlotte Hornets won their season opener over the Atlanta Hawks.
Charlotte led for the final four minutes and eased their way to a 116-110 win over Atlanta. It's the third straight year that the Hornets have won their season opener.
The lead swapped back and forth all Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center. The Hawks took a slim 52-51 lead into the locker room but were unable to stop the Hornets from dominating the second half.
Charlotte held a five-point lead at the end of the third quarter and kept the momentum going with a huge 38-point fourth quarter. The Hornets needed just about every one of those scores as the Hawks kept pace with 37 points of their own in the final period.
Washington led the Hornets with 25 points, followed by Terry Rozier with 24 points. LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams had double-doubles. No. 2 overall draft pick Brandon Miller had 13 points in the 25 minutes he played. Fellow rookie Nick Smith Jr. saw the court for just one minute.
Atlanta was led by Trae Young with 23 points and Jalen Johnson with 21 points.
It's a big win over a playoff team from last season for the Hornets, who are looking to improve on their 27-55 record from last season. Notably, the Hornets have won a game in the 2023-24 season before the Carolina Panthers have. It's the first time in Charlotte sports history the phenomenon has occurred, and just the 25th time that a city's basketball team has won a game in a season before its NFL team.
The Hornets are back in action on Friday against the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
This article will be updated.