National Basketball Association
Charlotte 101, Washington 87
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Where: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #28 Kevin Scott, #58 Josh Tiven
Attendance: 17064

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A year ago, the Charlotte Hornets wouldn't have been able to dig out of the hole they found themselves in against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

However, this is a new Charlotte team, and the Hornets showed just how much things have changed in a 101-87 victory over the Wizards.

Guard Nicolas Batum scored 16 points and handed out 11 assists, and Charlotte used a big fourth-quarter run to win its fourth consecutive game and seventh straight at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Down by nine points with less than 10 minutes to play, the Hornets closed out the game on a 25-2 run, and they allowed a franchise-record six points overall in the fourth quarter.

"We stepped up," Batum said. "The last four games have been the same way -- a bad third quarter and then we came back in the fourth (quarter) with more energy, more intensity.

"We did a good job. We got good shots on offense, so it's a good win for us. ... If we play defense, we can beat anybody in this league."

Guards Jeremy Lamb and Kemba Walker added 18 and 16 points, respectively, for the Hornets. Forward Cody Zeller had 11, and center Al Jefferson and forward Marvin Williams finished with double-doubles, each scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

"You just have to work the game," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "Seven points in this league is not much. You have to have good possessions, that's what basketball is, and it's as simple as that. You have to know what works and know what to do to score."

Down 58-54 at the halftime break, Washington closed out the third quarter with a 13-0 run over the final four minutes for an 81-74 lead. The Wizards extended their margin to 85-76 on two free throws by guard/forward Jared Dudley with 9:53 left in the fourth quarter.

Keyed by their defense, the Hornets shut Washington down over the final 9 1/2 minutes. The Wizards were 0-for-15 from the field during that span and was outrebounded 19-6 in the final period.

"We really showed our toughness," Jefferson said. "Starting in the first half, I remember Kemba (Walker) saying to me, 'We've got to get the fans behind us.'

"When we got down big and finally starting making the right plays, the fans started getting into it, and we shot off like a rocket."

Williams tied the score at 85-85 with two free throws with 5:56 remaining, and a Batum 3-pointer 58 seconds later put Charlotte in the lead for good.

The Wizards would not score again until reserve guard Gary Neal hit a pair of free throws with 23.1 seconds remaining.

Neal scored 18 points and center Marcin Gortat had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards. Guards Bradley Beal and John Wall added 17 and 14 points, respectively.

"The ball didn't go in, we didn't make shots and we didn't make plays -- that's the bottom line," Washington coach Randy Wittman said. "You have to make plays in this league. That's what it boils down to. We don't have guys that are making plays right now."

NOTES: The Hornets shot 47 percent from the field (39 of 83) and a perfect 15 of 15 from the free-throw line. However, they were held to an 8-of-26 success rate (30.8 percent) on 3-pointers. ... By comparison, the Wizards shot 35.6 percent (31 of 87), made 10 of 32 3-pointers (but zero of seven in the fourth quarter) and 15 of 18 from the free-throw line. ... Charlotte also finished with a 51-41 rebounding advantage but was behind Washington 35-31 entering the fourth quarter. ... The Hornets are 7-1 this season at Time Warner Cable Arena, with the only loss coming in their home opener Nov. 1, when they fell to the Atlanta Hawks 94-92. ... Charlotte is 8-0 in games in which it scores 100 or more points. ... Washington G Gary Neal, G/F Jared Dudley, and G Ramon Sessions all previously played with the Bobcats. ... Wizards G John Wall also has a North Carolina connection, having grown up in Raleigh, a 2 1/2-hour drive from Charlotte.
Top Game Performances
 
Washington   Charlotte
Gary Neal 18 Scoring Jeremy Lamb 18
John Wall 6 Assists Nicolas Batum 11
Marcin Gortat 12 Rebounds Al Jefferson 11
Marcin Gortat 5 Free Throws Made Jeremy Lamb 4
John Wall 6 Steals Nicolas Batum 2
Marcin Gortat 2 Blocks Jeremy Lin 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Washington 87 35.6 10-32 15-18 15 41 4 13 14
Charlotte 101 47.0 8-26 15-15 22 51 6 5 19
Upcoming Games
  • Charlotte will play their next game at home against Cleveland. The Hornets have a W/L % of .625 after a win and .571 after a loss.
  • Washington will play their next game on the road against Boston. The Wizards have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .500 after a loss.