CHARLOTTE, N.C. — LaMelo Ball put up 34 points and managed double-doubles as the Charlotte Hornets scored a dramatic comeback win over the Washington Wizards.
The Hornets (5-9) trailed the Wizards (2-12) by as much as 19 points in the second half but exploded in the fourth quarter to take the lead and held on for the win 117-114.
Ball had 12 points and seven assists in the fourth quarter alone. Miles Bridges scored 11 points in the period.
Washington held the lead after the first quarter but a big run by Charlotte in the second period gave the home team a four-point lead with two minutes left in the half. The Wizards worked some magic to put up a 13-2 run in the final moments of the second half. The last of those points came when Washington's Corey Kispert made a near-half-court shot as time expired in the half.
The Wizards kept their momentum going after the break and outscored Charlotte the Wizards 35-29 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 13 points.
Ball, Brandon Miller, and Bryce McGowens connected on some fortuitous 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to quickly erase the deficit and give the Hornets a surefire chance at the win.
Bridges' layup with five minutes remaining gave the Hornets their first lead of the half and erupted the Spectrum Center crowd. The Wizards tried to keep pace but Ball, Bridges, and Mark Williams closed the deal with accurate shooting to secure the win.
Ball led the Hornets with 34 points and 13 assists, giving him a double-double. Bridges and Williams got double-doubles with points and rebounds. Bridges had 33 points and 11 rebounds. Williams had 11 points and 14 rebounds. Rookie Brandon Miller scored 15 points on his 21st birthday.
The Wizards were led by Kyle Kuzma with 28 points.
It's the first time this season that the Hornets have pulled off consecutive wins. Charlotte's last win on Monday also came in the form of a double-digit fourth-quarter comeback over the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics.