NBA: Hornets’ bench leads high-scoring win over Raptors

Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann, right, collides with Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. Charlotte won 138-133. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Tre Mann and Cody Martin combined for 52 points off the bench for Charlotte Wednesday night as the Hornets outlasted the visiting Toronto Raptors 138-133 in the NBA.

Mann scored a team-high 27 points and Martin was right behind with 25 as the Hornets snapped a two-game losing streak. Nick Richards added 24 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots, LaMelo Ball poured in 19 points with six assists and reserve Grant Williams had 17 points with five assists.

Charlotte, which made 20 shots from 3-point range, scored at least 30 points in each quarter.

READ: NBA: LaMelo Ball shines in 1st game for Hornets since January

RJ Barrett racked up 31 points and eight assists, Gradey Dick had 30 points and Jakob Poeltl posted 20 points and 16 rebounds to pace the Raptors, who have lost three games in a row.

🎙️ Tre Mann: "It feels good that they trust me."

"They're giving me confidence—the coaches, my teammates—that I can go out there and just play. I feel like when I'm playing free, that's when I play my best basketball, and they just let me go out there and play free."

"That… pic.twitter.com/UsV06NjcrM

— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) October 31, 2024

Toronto also got 13 points from Chris Boucher, 11 apiece from Davion Mitchell and Jonathan Mogbo and 10 from Ochai Agbaji.

The Raptors’ leading scorer, Scottie Barnes (19.2 points per game) didn’t play due to a fractured orbital bone injury he sustained Monday night against Denver.

READ: NBA: New coach quickly prioritizes defense in Hornets’ new era

The Raptors shot 57.1 percent from the floor. Poeltl made 10 of 14 shots and Dick finished 11-for-17 to help compensate for the team’s 32.1 percent (9-for-28) accuracy on 3-pointers.

There were waves of points scored by both teams. Toronto, which trailed by as many as 23 points with less than seven minutes to go in the first half, grabbed the lead with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Charlotte broke 100 points by the end of the third to lead 103-96 entering the fourth. Mann’s 3-pointer gave the Hornets a 109-97 lead early in the quarter, but the Raptors had several spurts, including Barrett’s five straight points to pull within 127-121.

Mitchell made a free throw and a layup to close within 130-127. Two free throws apiece from Mann, Martin and Williams helped seal the win for the hosts.

The Raptors racked up 43 points in the second quarter to pull within 64-59 by halftime.

The Hornets bolted to a 30-16 lead by closing the first quarter on a 17-3 run. –Field Level Media