After nine months the Charlotte Hornets were back in action at Spectrum to kick off their first preseason game of the 2020-21 season.
The Hornets would jump out to a 25-6 lead early in the first quarter, but the Raptors would change the momentum and outscore the Hornets 35-19 in the second quarter to take a 58-51 halftime lead. Toronto would go on to defeat Charlotte 111-100.
“Good start. Obviously, built a 19-point lead, and I liked what I saw there. Their pressure picked up, and we didn’t respond appropriately, and these are the growing pains that we’re going to go through early. I saw some good stuff. We’ve got a lot to clean up. Obviously, we’ll add as we go. First of many and it was good to see our guys compete and play out there for the first time,” Hornets head coach James Borrego said.
This game marked the preseason debut of rookie LaMelo Ball, who was the Hornets third-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball would add a game-high 10 rebounds and a team-high four assists off the bench. Despite going 0-of-5 on shooting, Ball created numerous scoring opportunities for his teammates and displayed his flashy passing skills.
"Definitely felt good being out there. I mean haven't played in minutes and so it was definitely a blessing to get back out there and play," Ball said. "Slowly building chemistry with the team, so it was nice out there."
Miles Bridges would lead the team in scoring with 12 points, while Gordon Hayward would add 11.
The Hornets are back at Spectrum Center on Monday, December 14th for their second preseason game of the season. They'll face Toronto once again.