Terry Rozier #3 and Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets react in the second quarter of the game against the Toronto Raptors at Spectrum Center on February 25, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/AFP
Miles Bridges scored 26 points to lead seven Charlotte scorers in double figures as the hot-shooting Hornets defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans 142-120 on Friday night.
Terry Rozier added 25 points, LaMelo Ball 17, Montrezl Harrell 16, Cody Martin 15, Isaiah Thomas 14 and Kelly Oubre Jr. 10 for the Hornets, who shot 59.8 percent from the floor, including 46.8 percent on 3-pointers. They had 41 assists on 52 field goals.
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Charlotte had won just three of its previous 10 games but took command by outscoring New Orleans 42-27 in the third quarter.
For New Orleans, rookie Trey Murphy III had season highs of 32 points (making seven 3-pointers) and nine rebounds, Devonte’ Graham scored 19 points, Willy Hernangomez added 15, Naji Marshall 14, Jaxson Hayes 13, Herbert Jones 12 and Jonas Valanciunas 10 to lead the short-handed Pelicans, who lost their fourth consecutive game.
New Orleans played its third consecutive game without leading scorer Brandon Ingram, who is sidelined by a hamstring strain. Second-leading scorer CJ McCollum, who had scored 32 points in each of the first two games that Ingram missed, also was sidelined after entering the health and safety protocol Thursday.
The Hornets began the third quarter with a 16-4 run to open a 77-59 lead with 8:57 left in the period.
The Pelicans got within 14 points on Murphy’s 3-pointer midway through the quarter, but Rozier made a 3-pointer and Oubre two 3-pointers as Charlotte expanded its lead to 103-82 at the end of the period.
The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands four times during the first quarter. Ball’s free throw broke the final tie and gave the Hornets a 25-24 lead at the end of the period.
The second quarter featured 10 lead changes and two ties before Harrell’s 3-point play broke the final tie and started a 10-0 Charlotte run.
Hayes scored the Pelicans’ final six points to trim the Hornets’ lead to 61-55 at halftime.