FILE — Terry Rozier #3 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Phoenix Suns Arena on February 24, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham got hot from long range as the visiting Charlotte Hornets turned an explosive third quarter into a 122-97 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Rozier scored 25 points while Graham tallied 21 as the Charlotte starting backcourt finished a combined 10 for 17 from behind the arc.
That's tough T3rry! 👌😤@T_Rozzay3 | @HornetsOnFSSE pic.twitter.com/DMEPVKXwQr
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 25, 2021
Graham, starting his second consecutive game in place of injured rookie LaMelo Ball, drilled 6 of 9 3-point attempts as the Hornets improved to 17-0 when leading entering the fourth quarter. Charlotte finished 18 of 38 (47.4 percent) from 3-point range.
Houston, which snapped a 20-game losing streak on Monday by beating the Toronto Raptors, pulled even at 55-55 on a Danuel House Jr. 3-pointer with 38.8 seconds remaining in the first half. However, Rozier answered with three free throws following a House foul to give Charlotte the lead entering the break, and the Hornets opened the second half in top offensive form to pull away.
Houston, we have a good problem. 3️⃣TAE is HOT! 👌👌👌@Devonte4graham | @HornetsOnFSSE pic.twitter.com/AuF9gS5nHm
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 25, 2021
After Charlotte pushed the lead to 65-55 with a quick 7-0 burst, Graham sank a pair of treys before Rozier converted two layups to build the advantage to 75-61 at the 7:29 mark. The Rockets called timeout but couldn’t stem the tide as Rozier added a 3-pointer immediately thereafter before a Bismack Biyombo dunk pushed the lead to 19 points.
Malik Monk hit a 3-pointer later in the period and Graham converted a four-point play with 1:16 left in the frame, extending the Charlotte lead to 93-68.
The Hornets shot 14 of 18 in the third, including 6 of 10 from deep. The Rockets, meanwhile, missed 10 of 12 3-point attempts in the period and trailed by 23 entering the fourth after being even late in the second.
On the night, Monk posted 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. P.J. Washington recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which improved to 2-0 with Ball unavailable.
The Rockets capped their seven-game homestand 1-6. John Wall paired 20 points with seven assists while Christian Wood added 11 points and 10 boards but missed 10 of 14 field-goal attempts.