The Charlotte Hornets hit the road on Wednesday night to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the home fans got their first chance in seeing D'Angelo Russell in action. A few key players were out for both teams, as Terry Rozier missed out while Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined as well for the Timberwolves.
Now putting together back-to-back wins on the road, let’s dive into the 115-107 victory by looking into some of the stats for both teams.
Charlotte Hornets
Malik Monk steps up off the bench
- With Rozier missing out in Wednesday's game, Caleb Martin got the start with Monk coming off the bench and he stepped up big, going for 25 points, four rebounds, and three assists, shooting 10-for-20 from the floor and holding a +10 advantage on the floor. He has now shot 50 percent from the floor in back-to-back games and averaging 21 points in his last two outings.
The trio comes alive in the second half
- Charlotte trailed by 16 at halftime but eventually outscored the Timberwolves by 10 in the third and 13 in the fourth to secure the win. The young trio of Monk, Devonte' Graham, and Miles Bridges stepped up big in the second half, scoring 48 of the 67 second-half points, including going 7-for-12 from three.
Miles Bridges continues to shine
- Bridges continues to step up as of late, now recording his eighth straight double-digit performance in the victory. For the month of February, Bridges is averaging 19.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Hornets.
Clamping down on the Timberwolves trio
- Minnesota's trio of Juan Hernangomez, Russell, and Malik Beasley combined for 25-for-66 from the floor, including going 10-for-33 from behind the arc. Charlotte made if difficult and shots didn't fall as much as they did early on. In all, the Timberwolves relied heavily on the three but finished the game 14-for-49, which is only 28.6 percent from behind the arc, compared to 41 percent for Charlotte.
Biyombo was active down low
- Charlotte outscored Minnesota 56-42 with points in the paint and one had to recognize the early impact that Biyombo had down low. Recording his first double-double since the start of January, the veteran center really made a presence down low.