NBA: Michael Jordan to sell majority stake in Charlotte Hornets

NEW YORK  -- Basketball legend Michael Jordan has agreed to sell his majority stake in the NBA's Charlotte Hornets to an investment consortium, the team announced Friday.

The buyer group is led by Gabe Plotkin, chief investment officer at Tallwoods Capital LLC, and Rick Schnall, co-president of private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

The group also includes musicians J. Cole and Eric Church, said a press release from Hornets Sports & Entertainment that did not disclose financial terms.

Jordan will retain a minority stake in the franchise, the team said. The transaction is subject to NBA approval.

Jordan acquired a controlling investment in the Hornets in 2010 for $275 million. The franchise has been the league's sole team with Black-majority ownership.

Under the terms of the deal, the Hornets as a whole were valued at $3 billion, according to the New York Times. Other outlets have valued the Hornets at closer to $1.7 billion. It was not clear how much of Jordan's initial stake he would retain.

Often considered the greatest-ever basketball player, Jordan led teams to six NBA titles, won the league's Most Valuable Player award five times and garnered two Olympic gold medals. He played his last game professionally in 2003.

However, Jordan's tenure as the only Black owner of an NBA team has been less successful.

- 'On-court failure' -

During his 13-year reign, Charlotte reached the playoffs just three times, losing in the first round on all three occasions.

Last season, Charlotte finished one place off the bottom of the Eastern Conference at 27-55.

Rumors of Jordan's interest in selling his stake have circulated for several weeks.

Speaking on the eve of the NBA Finals last month, league commissioner Adam Silver said Jordan had "the absolute right to sell", but admitted he hoped to see more Black team owners in future.

"I would love to have better representation in terms of principal governors," Silver said. "It's a marketplace. It's something that if we were expanding that the league would be in a position to focus directly on that, but in individual team transactions, the market takes us where we are.

"I will say I know that increasingly our governors are focused on diversity in their ownership groups just as they are in their front office, so the trend lines have been positive over the last several years."

News of Jordan's decision to sell up went largely unlamented by commentators in Charlotte.

Charlotte Observer sports columnist Scott Fowler said that Jordan's departure marked the "end of an era" as the NBA's only Black majority owner of a team.

"But he failed as the Hornets owner in the way he would consider most important: he never turned Charlotte into a winner," Fowler wrote on Friday.

"Jordan's reign as Charlotte's most famous sports owner ever was ultimately a PR success but an on-court failure."

The Hornets sale marks the third change of franchise ownership in the NBA in the past year and coincides with a period in which team values are believed to have skyrocketed.

The Phoenix Suns were taken over in December by a consortium led by billionaire Mat Ishbia while the Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry sold his 25% stake in the club to Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the owners of the Cleveland Browns NFL team.

According to Forbes, Jordan has a net worth of around $2 billion, with around $1.8 billion of his career earnings coming from deals with corporate partners such as Nike, Hanes and Gatorade.

The origin of Jordan's lucrative partnership with Nike was chronicled earlier this year in the film "Air," which was directed by Ben Affleck.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Embiid dominant as Sixers cruise to seventh straight win

LOS ANGELES -- Joel Embiid maintained his dominant scoring streak as the Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 121-82 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Embiid, one of the front-runners for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, rattled in another 38 points during a one-sided road victory.

The Sixers star is averaging 35 points a game in March and has not scored fewer than 31 in eight games this month.

Embiid's latest tally came on 16-of-21 shooting, with 13 rebounds and five assists.

"Home or road, it doesn't matter," Embiid said afterward. "We know what it takes offensively and defensively, everybody doing their job... tonight we did it as a team."

James Harden had a rare off-night with only 11 points after shooting 4-of-15 from the field, but the Sixers still had far too much firepower and defensive savvy for a Charlotte team that is second from the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Tobias Harris added 18 points while Tyrese Maxey chipped in with 13.

Despite the one-sided nature of the win, Sixers coach Doc Rivers was pleased that his team emerged with a clean bill of health.

"It's just good to get the game over with and be healthy," said Rivers, who also took satisfaction from the Sixers' ruthless performance.

"It just shows that we are focused, and we are showing up and playing," he said.

"There is no guarantee each night how you're going to play, but there is a guarantee how you can show up -- and we're showing up every night."

Philadelphia improved to 47-22 with the win and are third in the East, behind leaders Milwaukee (50-20) and Boston (49-22).

- Boston revival -

Boston's revival continued with a 126-112 win on the road over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points, while Jaylen Brown added 27. 

Damian Lillard poured in 41 points in Portland's losing effort.

In other games Friday, Maxi Kleber nailed a 27-foot buzzer-beater as the Dallas Mavericks put a dent in the Los Angeles Lakers' postseason charge to snatch a sensational 111-110 road victory.

Kyrie Irving scored 38 points -- and provided the late assist for Kleber -- to set up a thrilling win for Dallas. 

Irving's tally included 13 in the fourth quarter as Dallas overturned a late five-point deficit to claim the win.

The defeat dropped the Lakers to 10th in the Western Conference with a 34-37 record. Dallas meanwhile moved up to the sixth spot.

Elsewhere Friday, Golden State's poor road form continued with a 127-119 defeat at Atlanta, with Trae Young leading the Hawks' scoring with 25 points.

With the Warriors missing the defensive presence of the suspended Draymond Green, the reigning NBA champions dropped their 10th straight game on the road.

The Warriors are now 36-35 overall and sixth in a congested Western Conference table.

"Proud of our guys effort, we had our chances and had several shots in the last couple of minutes but just couldn't get anything to go," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the loss.

"These guys are fighting. I believe in them and I believe something good's going to happen with this group. We've just got to keep fighting and keep moving forward," added Kerr, brushing off suggestions that the Warriors' problems away from home were psychological.

"It's not mental," Kerr said. "We've been playing well... but it's hard to win on the road in this league. And we're just not getting it done."

Steph Curry led the Warriors scorers with 31 points, and six Golden State players finished in double figures.

In Chicago, DeMar DeRozan erupted for 49 points as the Bulls completed a 139-131 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves' defeat was compounded by a worrying injury to star Anthony Edwards, who yelled in pain after an awkward landing on his right foot in the first quarter.

Edwards left the game and did not return before appearing on the bench late on wearing a protective boot.

Agence France-Presse

Miles Bridges paces double-figure scoring surge, as Hornets rout Pelicans

Miles Bridges scored 26 points to lead 7 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.

Charlotte had won just three of its previous 10 games but took command by outscoring New Orleans 42-27 in the 3rd quarter.

For New Orleans, rookie Trey Murphy III had season-highs of 32 points (making seven 3-pointers) and 9 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 4th consecutive game.

New Orleans played its 3rd 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 2 games that Ingram missed, also was sidelined after entering the health and safety protocol Thursday.

The Hornets began the 3rd 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.

-reuters-

NBA: Jimmy Butler scores 27 as Heat use big third quarter to beat Hornets

Jimmy Butler poured in 27 points and the Miami Heat used a tremendous third quarter to produce a 104-86 victory over the host Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

Bam Adebayo supplied 20 points and 12 rebounds as Miami controlled the play in the lane for much of the second half.

The Heat trailed 51-46 at halftime, but cranked out a 35-8 edge in the third quarter. Butler had nine points in the quarter.

Tyler Herro added 19 points for Miami, which has won back-to-back games following a three-game skid.

The Hornets lost their fourth consecutive game, including the second one in two nights at home. Charlotte dropped to 14-10 at home.

Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 16 points, while Miles Bridges had 15 points and LaMelo Ball provided 12 points. Gordon Hayward, who was in his second game back following an ankle injury, was scoreless in 22 minutes, missing all seven of his shots from the floor.

The Hornets' 3-point shooting was spotty, going 10-for-36. Super sub Kelly Oubre Jr. struggled by going 3-for-15 from the field (1-for-9 on 3s).

Butler made 10 of 13 shots from the field. The Heat's efficiency for parts of the second half helped overcome the team's 11-for-32 shooting on 3-pointers for the game. Miami also was 17-for-18 on free throws.

The Hornets had good moments in the second quarter, when Miami was limited to 15 points. The Heat connected on only two shots from the field in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half.

The Heat led 31-23 before going cold.

Miami was in its fourth game of a six-game road swing, now 2-2 in those games. The Heat had Kyle Lowry back for his second game after a nine-game absence because of a personal issue, and he turned in nine points.

Twin brothers Caleb Martin of Miami and Cody Martin of Charlotte both scored eight points in reserve roles.

-reuters-

NBA: Gordon Hayward pours in 41 as Hornets rout Spurs

Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 41 points for the visiting Charlotte Hornets, who built a 21-point lead in the first quarter and romped to a 131-115 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

The Hornets never trailed, enduring a San Antonio surge in the second quarter before taking a 16-point advantage to the half. The Spurs never got closer that 10 points after halftime, and Charlotte led by as many as 30 points while waltzing to the finish.

Hayward shot 15 of 19 from the floor, 5 of 6 from beyond the arc and finished three points shy of his career high. Cody Martin added 21 points for the Hornets, with Miles Bridges hitting for 19, Jalen McDaniels contributing 15 points, Terry Rozier scoring 13, and P.J. Washington tallying 12 points in the win.

The Hornets have won two of their past three games and are 1-1 to open a six-game road trip.

Bryn Forbes paced the Spurs with 25 points. Keldon Johnson while racked up 21, Derrick White scored 18, and Doug McDermott, Dejounte Murray and Devin Vassell hit for 10 points apiece. San Antonio finished a 2-3 homestand.

The Hornets flew out of the gate, going up 44-23 before setting for a 46-31 advantage after 12 minutes of play. Charlotte scored 30 of its points on 3-pointers in the period.

Charlotte's advantage was whittled down to eight after the Spurs opened the second quarter on a 13-6 run. However, most of San Antonio's work to climb back in the game was answered by the Hornets over the final six minutes before the break. Charlotte ran off a 15-3 run of its own to take a 71-51 edge with 1:54 to play in the half.

The Hornets led 73-57 at the break behind 20 points from Hayward, 13 each from Bridges and Martin and 10 by McDaniels off the bench. Charlotte outshot the Spurs 60.4 percent to 46.7 percent in the half and canned 13 shots from beyond the arc to just five by San Antonio.

Forbes paced the Spurs with 13 points for the Spurs in the first half.

For the game, Charlotte outshot San Antonio 59.3 percent to 43.3 percent.

-reuters-

NBA: Miles Bridges helps Hornets edge Warriors

Miles Bridges scored 22 points and LaMelo Ball had 21 as the Charlotte Hornets edged the visiting Golden State Warriors 106-102 on Sunday night.

The big contribution came from Terry Rozier, who scored all 20 of his points in the second half as the Hornets stretched their winning streak to three games.

The Warriors, who lost for just the second time in 13 games, had a seven-game winning streak snapped. They're 3-1 in road games.

Andrew Wiggins poured in 28 points and Stephon Curry, playing in his hometown, had 24 points for the Warriors. Jordan Poole added 13 points and Draymond Green 11. Curry was just 3-for-13 on 3-pointers.

There were 27 lead changes in the game.

Rozier's 3-point play put the Hornets up 102-98 with 2:24 left. The Warriors scored the next two baskets, with Green's dunk tying the game at the 44-second mark.

Bridges put Charlotte back in front on the next possession. Golden State's Kevin Looney then missed two foul shots.

Rozier countered with two free throws for the game's final points.

Cody Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench for Charlotte.

It was a close game throughout. In the second half, the margin never was wider than four points -- and that happened just three times (once in the third quarter and twice down the stretch in the fourth quarter).

Charlotte's 47-41 lead marked the widest margin for either team.

The teams were tied at 63, 65, 68, 70, 74 and 77, all in the third quarter.

Then the Hornets went a stretch of more than three minutes with just one field goal, but launched into the lead at 81-80 on Bridges' basket.

Curry's second 3 in the final 70 seconds of the third quarter put the Warriors up 88-87 going to the fourth.

Fittingly, the score was 57-57 at halftime. Ball had 19 points by the break, hitting four 3-pointers.

The Warriors shot just 6-for-21 on 3s in the first half.

-reuters-

NBA: Hornets snap four-game skid with win over Trail Blazers

Terry Rozier scored 34 points to help the Charlotte Hornets snap a four-game losing streak in a 109-101 victory against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.

P.J. Washington contributed 23 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Miles Bridges added 19 points. Jalen McDaniels also had 13 points for Charlotte.

Carmelo Anthony pumped in 24 points and C.J. McCollum posted 22 points for Portland. Norman Powell chipped in 17 points, but he was 1-for-8 on 3s.

It was the second straight game for the Trail Blazers without injured team scoring leader Damian Lillard. Unlike two nights earlier in a one-point win at San Antonio, the Trail Blazers were unable to overcome his absence this time.

Rozier, who took 24 of the Charlotte starters' combined 53 shots from the field, racked up seven 3-point baskets. He also delivered a team-best 10 assists to go with eight rebounds.

Charlotte led by as many as 29 points in the third quarter.

Yet the Trail Blazers threatened to make it interesting after trailing by 20 points approaching the midway mark of the fourth quarter. Anthony drained consecutive 3-pointers, trimming the deficit to 102-90 with 6:08 remaining.

Anthony had 11 points in a span of less than 2 1/2 minutes before missing a 3 that could have shaved the hole to six points. Then there was a stretch of more than two minutes with a Rozier free throw as the only scoring.

Portland didn't score again until Anthony's bucket at the 52-second mark to make it 107-97.

Rozier scored 17 first-quarter points as the Hornets flourished on offense in building a 44-24 lead. He didn't score in the second quarter, but by then Bridges was clicking and they each had 17 points at the break.

Charlotte's major flaw came with 10 first-half turnovers, allowing the Trail Blazers to close within 65-51 at the break.

Each team took 19 shots from 3-point range in the opening half, with the Hornets hitting 10 of those and the Trail Blazers making five.

-reuters-

NBA: Hornets knock off Spurs to end 3-game skid

Gordon Hayward scored 27 points and Terry Rozier added 24, 17 of those in the second half, as the visiting Charlotte Hornets held on for a 100-97 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

The Hornets led by 10 points at the half and by five heading into the fourth. San Antonio rallied to tie the game on DeMar DeRozan's three-point play with 1:45 left, but Rozier answered with a 3-pointer that put the Hornets back on top with 1:26 to play.

The Spurs' Derrick White canned two free throws with 22.4 seconds remaining. Rozier then made two free throws with 18.4 seconds left and the lead was back to three.

DeRozan's dunk with 9.2 seconds remaining cut the Charlotte lead to one point again, but Hayward promptly hit two free throws to force San Antonio into a last-second 3-point attempt, which

Patty Mills missed with 6.7 seconds left.

Malik Monk and Bismack Biyombo added 11 points each for the Hornets, who ended a three-game losing streak, and P.J. Washington finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

DeRozan ended up with 28 points for San Antonio. White scored 21, and Mills and Rudy Gay hit for 10 apiece. Jakob Poeltl paced the Spurs with 11 rebounds.

The Hornets led for all but the opening minutes of the game and rolled to a 31-21 lead at the end of the first period. San Antonio cut that advantage to one point with 8:33 left in the second period, but Charlotte responded and led 55-45 at halftime.

Hayward led the Hornets with 13 points in the half, while Washington added 10 points and seven rebounds. White and DeRozan had eight points apiece to lead San Antonio at the break.

Monday's contest was the first of a season-long nine-game homestand over the next two weeks for the Spurs.

-reuters-

NBA: Hornets sign top picks Ball, Carey among several moves

The Charlotte Hornets have signed their first- and second-round draft picks, LaMelo Ball and Vernon Carey Jr., the team announced on Monday night.

In a flurry of moves, the team also announced the signings of second-round selection, Grant Riller, and Nick Richards, who was drafted in the second round by New Orleans and sent to Charlotte in a trade.

In addition, the Hornets re-signed nine-year veteran Bismack Biyombo and signed undrafted free agent Nate Darling.

The moves come one day after acquiring star swingman Gordon Hayward from the Boston Celtics in a sign-and-trade.

The 19-year-old Ball, younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, was taken third overall in the draft.

Ball played 12 games for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia's National Basketball League last season. His season ended early with a foot injury, but Ball averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and seven assists 1.7 steals a game.

The Hornets did not announce terms of the signing, but Spotrac.com says the 6-foot-7 Ball will make just over $7.8 million next season from being selected third overall.

He is guaranteed two years and $16 million, according to the website.

The 19-year-old Carey, a 6-foot-10 center, played one season at Duke, earning second team All-America honors for averaging 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds. He led the ACC by shooting 57.7 percent from the field and was third in the conference in scoring.

Carey was drafted 32nd overall.

The 6-8 Biyombo played in 53 games for Charlotte last season, starting 29. He averaged 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.

A nine-year veteran, Biyombo has played the last two seasons for the Hornets, his third NBA team. He was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the first round (seventh overall) in 2011.

He landed with the then-Charlotte Bobcats on draft day and spent four seasons with the Bobcats-Hornets before spending a season with the Toronto Raptors and two with the Orlando Magic.

Charlotte drafted Riller with the 56th overall pick out of the College of Charleston. The 6-3 guard averaged 18.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 132 games.

The Pelicans chose Richards 42nd overall and dealt him to the Hornets for a 2024 second-round pick.

The 6-11 Richards played three seasons at Kentucky. Last season, the All-SEC First Team and All-Defensive Team selection averaged 14 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 29.7 minutes in 31 games played.

His 62.8 percent shooting percentage was third in school history.

Darling, a 6-5 guard, played two seasons at UAB and one at Delaware last season. Voted to the Colonial Athletic Association's first team, he averaged 21 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 38.2 minutes per game as a season-long starter.

-reuters-

Free agent Hayward reportedly headed to Charlotte Hornets in $120M deal

Coveted NBA free agent Gordon Hayward is headed to the Charlotte Hornets on a deal reported by ESPN to be worth $120 million over four years.

Hayward’s agents Priority Sports added confirmation of the move on their Twitter feed with a post saying “Congrats to @gordonhayward on agreeing to terms with @hornets!”

Hayward became a free agent Thursday when he declined a $34.2 million player option with the Boston Celtics for the upcoming season.

He had inked a four-year, $127.8 million contract with the Celtics in 2017, but his tenure in Boston was shadowed by injury, starting with a grisly foot and ankle injury suffered minutes into his regular-season debut with the club.

He missed the rest of that season, and after a spotty 2018-19 campaign he averaged 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 52 games of the pandemic-disrupted 2019-20 campaign.

Hayward was sidelined again in the playoffs in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, spraining his right ankle in the opening game of Boston’s first-round series against Philadelphia.

He returned during the Eastern Conference finals, in which the Celtics fell in six games to the Miami Heat.

The NBA’s free agency negotiating period began on Friday, but deals can’t be finalized until the signing period starts on Sunday.

Both the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers had been reported to be in the running to land Hayward, with the 30-year-old forward reported by some to favor a return to his native Indiana before the Hornets apparently swooped in.

Meanwhile, journeyman point guard Rajon Rondo is joining the Atlanta Hawks on a reported two-year, $15 million deal.

The 34-year-old Rondo is entering his 15th NBA season and this will be his sixth team. He spent the last two with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rondo thanked the Lakers, his teammates and the fans on Instagram earlier Saturday.

“To the fans…thank you for welcoming me with open arms from Day 1 and showing me love. Being apart of #LakeShow was something special and I’m proud we brought it back to you!”

Also, the Toronto Raptors are poised to sign guard Fred VanVleet to a four-year, $85 million deal, Canadian media reported.

The deal represents a huge payday for VanVleet, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

VanVleet played a crucial role in the Raptors’ run to a championship in 2019.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Allen's big night lifts Nets over Hornets

Jarrett Allen totaled season highs of 22 points and 17 rebounds and the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 101-91 Wednesday night in New York.

The Nets won for the second time in third games without Kyrie Irving, who sat out due to right shoulder impingement. 

Brooklyn also rebounded from a 29-point home loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday thanks to Allen, who came within two points of his career high set Nov. 17 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Allen enjoyed one of the most productive games of his career and recorded his fifth double-double of the season. He shot 9-for-12 from the floor as Brooklyn overcame shooting 39.6 percent and outrebounded Charlotte 53-41.

Taurean Prince added 20 points while shooting 6-for-15 in a game where the Nets never led by more than 12 points. Spencer Dinwiddie started for Irving and contributed 20 while tying a season high with eight assists.

Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 18 points but shot 5 of 14 as the Hornets dropped their second straight game following dramatic last-second wins over the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. 

DeVonte' Graham added 17 points but shot 5 of 16 as Charlotte never got into a rhythm and shot 37 percent from the field.

Malik Monk added 13 while Miles Bridges contributed 12 for Charlotte, which has trailed by double-digits in each of its first 15 games this season.

The Nets took their first double-digit lead at 42-32 on a 3-point play by Dinwiddie with 6:02 left and led 56-51 at halftime. Allen's putback dunk with 7:02 left in the third put Brooklyn ahead 70-60 and the Nets held an 82-73 lead going into the fourth.

Brooklyn missed its first six shots of the fourth, allowing the Hornets to get within 86-83 on two free throws by Dwayne Bacon with 6:28 left. 

Prince finally ended Brooklyn's shooting drought with a 3-pointer from the left side with 5:47 to go, then hit a transition layup with 3:28 left for a 95-86 lead.

The Nets then sealed the game on a 3-pointer by Joe Harris with 1:33 left that made it 100-88.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Hornets’ Graham stings Knicks with last of nine 3-pointers

Devonte' Graham hit a career-high nine 3-pointers, scored 29 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left as the Charlotte Hornets edged the host New York Knicks, 103-102, on Saturday night.

The Hornets won their second straight game on a last-second shot. A night after Malik Monk's buzzer-beater beat the Detroit Pistons to halt Charlotte's four-game losing streak, it was Graham's turn to complete a comeback from 15 points down early in the third quarter and from eight points down in the final 6:40.

New York held a 102-98 lead on Julius Randle's dunk with 48.2 seconds left. After two free throws by rookie P.J. Washington, Randle air-balled a floater with 12.3 seconds to go, setting it up for Graham.

After the timeout, Nicolas Batum inbounded the ball from near midcourt to Washington. Washington made a bounce pass to Graham, who gained enough separation from Frank Ntilikina to hit the 3-pointer from well beyond the top of the key.

New York called its final timeout with 2.1 seconds remaining but Randle's jumper was short as time expired.

Graham shot 9 of 16 from the 3-point range and 10 of 19 overall as Charlotte hit 17 3-pointers and shot 41.4 percent overall.

Washington added 19 points, while Terry Rozier contributed 16 as Charlotte rallied from a double-digit deficit for the sixth time this season.

Rookie RJ Barrett scored 22 points, including several clutch hoops in the fourth, but the Knicks were denied their first winning streak of the season. Mitchell Robinson added 17 and 12 rebounds coming off the bench but injured his left ankle and did not play for the final five-plus minutes.

Marcus Morris and Bobby Portis added 14 apiece for the Knicks, who held a 64-49 lead early in the third quarter. The Knicks were outscored, 54-38, for the rest of the game.

The Knicks opened up a 64-49 lead less than three minutes into the third when Morris connected with Taj Gibson for a thunderous dunk that prompted Charlotte to call a timeout. The Hornets outscored the Knicks 26-12 the rest of the quarter and got the lead down to 76-75 entering the fourth.

The Hornets held an 80-78 lead with 10:17 left on Cody Zeller's finger-roll layup but the Knicks scored the next 10 points and took an 88-80 lead on a dunk by Robinson with 6:40 remaining. Robinson's dunk occurred moments after he injured his left ankle when he stepped on Batum's foot while playing defense.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Leonard, reserves lead Clippers to another win

Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a 111-96 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

Leonard also had seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks. The Los Angeles bench was dominant as usual, with Lou Williams adding 23 points and Montrezl Harrell scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds. 

Clippers guard Landry Shamet scored all 16 of his points in the first half, and center Ivica Zubac recorded a career-high five blocks.

"We made shots and we ended up winning the game," said Leonard, who converted 10 of 18 shots from the floor.

Point guard Terry Rozier finished with 17 points to lead six Hornets in double digits. Cody Zeller chipped in 14 points and 13 rebounds. Reserve guard Devonte' Graham had 14 points and 12 assists for Charlotte while Malik Monk scored 15 points, P.J. Washington had 11 and Bismack Biyombo scored 10.

The Clippers won for the third time in four games this season. The Hornets dropped their third in a row after winning their opener.

Los Angeles outscored Charlotte 29-20 in the third quarter for an 86-74 advantage heading into the fourth. A 10-3 run capped by a floater by Harrell and a layup by Leonard increased the margin to 96-79 with 7:45 remaining.

Charlotte pulled within eight after a 3-pointer by Miles Bridges with 4:14 left, but the Hornets got no closer as the Clippers pulled away.

The Clippers led 57-54 at the break. Leonard scored 15 points before the half. Rozier was the only Hornet to reach double figures in the first half with 10 points.

The Clippers connected on 50 percent of their shots compared to 48.8 percent for the Hornets in the first half. Both teams committed 11 turnovers in the first half and 21 for the game.

Overall, Los Angeles outshot Charlotte 48.2 percent to 43.4 percent.

The Clippers bolted out of the gate, leading by as much as 14 in the first quarter before the Hornets regrouped. Charlotte ended the quarter on a 17-4 run to slice the deficit to 29-28.

The Los Angeles reserves, who led the NBA in bench scoring entering the contest, outscored the Hornets' reserves 50-41.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Davis' big first half carries Lakers against Hornets

Anthony Davis scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half, and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Charlotte Hornets 120-101 on Sunday night at Staples Center.

Davis also had 14 rebounds and three blocks. LeBron James scored 20 points, dished out 12 assists and grabbed six rebounds. Dwight Howard delivered a solid effort off the bench, scoring 16 points on 8-of-8 shooting, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking four shots.

Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 23 points. Cody Zeller finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds (seven on the offensive end), three blocks and three steals. Terry Rozier also scored 19 points, while Dwayne Bacon added 15 points for the Hornets.

The Lakers used a fourth-quarter burst to put away the Hornets, going on a 14-2 run to push their lead to 101-82 less than four minutes into the period. James capped the run with a three-point play and 3-pointer to push the lead to 19.

Charlotte got no closer than 13 the rest of the way.

A four-point play by Devonte' Graham and a follow shot by Zeller allowed the Hornets to tie the score at 47 with 4:33 remaining in the second quarter. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter before the Lakers took a 63-62 advantage at the break on a pair of Davis free throws in the closing seconds.

Bridges had 15 points and Zeller added 13 in the first half.

The Lakers stretched the lead late in the third quarter. A dunk by Davis and a bucket by Howard following a Davis block gave the Lakers an 87-80 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Lakers outshot the Hornets 52.7 percent to 38.5 percent. Los Angeles recorded 30 assists to 19 for Charlotte.

Davis scored 16 points in the first quarter to stake the Lakers to a 30-28 advantage.

Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo (right calf strain) and forward Kyle Kuzma (stress reaction, left foot) missed their third straight contest each.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Michael Jordan donates $1 million to Dorian relief

LOS ANGELES - NBA legend Michael Jordan is donating $1 million to help relief efforts in the hurricane-battered Bahamas, his spokeswoman said Tuesday.

In a statement on Twitter, Charlotte Hornets owner Jordan said he was "devastated" at the destruction unleashed by Hurricane Dorian on the Caribbean archipelago.

At least 50 people have died and several thousand across the island nation have been evacuated. 

"I am devastated to see the destruction that Hurricane Dorian has brought to the Bahamas, where I own property and visit frequently," Jordan said in a statement announcing his pledge.

"My heart goes out to everyone who is suffering and to those who have lost loved ones," he added.

Jordan said he aimed to distribute funds to non-profit agencies in the region where the money would "have the most impact." 

"The Bahamian people are strong and resilient and I hope that my donation will be of help as they work to recover from this catastrophic storm," he added.

Jordan, 56, has donated to relief efforts in the past, pledging $2 million to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence which lashed the Carolinas last year.

Jordan is widely regarded as the one of the greatest basketball players of all time, winning six NBA titles before retiring and eventually becoming owner of the Hornets.

rcw/pb

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NBA: Balanced attack leads Warriors past Hornets

Klay Thompson scored 26 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points and 11 rebounds as the visiting Golden State Warriors beat the Charlotte Hornets 121-110 on Monday night.

The Warriors never trailed in the final three quarters and led by as many as 17 in the final six minutes before the Hornets went on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to seven, 115-108, with 3:24 to go.

Ultimately, Steph Curry's 3-pointer with 58.5 seconds left settled it, accounting for the game's final points.

The Warriors have now won 16 of their last 18 road games as they embark on a four-game East Coast road trip. They were coming off a home loss to Houston on Saturday night and had lost two of their previous three.

Cousins might have had his best game since returning from an Achilles injury 14 games ago. He was 9 of 15 from the field and was on the court for most of the Warriors' runs.

The Warriors also got 20 points from Kevin Durant, 16 points from Curry, and 14 points and 10 assists from Draymond Green. Curry, in his annual return to his hometown, was just 5 of 18 from the field and 4 of 14 from 3-point range. 

He had averaged 30.4 points per game at the Spectrum Center over his career coming into Monday night.

Cody Zeller scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Hornets, hitting 13 of 14 from the field. The Hornets also got 23 points from Kemba Walker, 16 from Jeremy Lamb, 14 from Nic Batum and 11 from Marvin Williams. 

Walker, like Curry, struggled from long distance, going 9 of 24 from the field and 3 of 12 from 3-point range.

Golden State led 34-30 after one quarter and 68-60 at halftime, after leading by as many as 14 in the first half. The Warriors then led 98-88 going into the fourth quarter. 

The closest the Hornets ever got in the last three quarters was three points, at 89-86 late in the third.

The Warriors came into the game with the best record in the Western Conference, but with only a one-game lead over second-seeded Denver. 

The Hornets came into the game eighth in the Eastern Conference, trailing No. 7 Detroit by one-half game and leading No. 9 Orlando by one game.

The Warriors' trip will continue at Miami on Wednesday and then will go on to Orlando and Philadelphia. The Hornets were playing the third game of a four-game homestand. They will host Houston on Wednesday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Rozier keeps Celtics on a roll in win over Hornets

Terry Rozier filled in for injured Kyrie Irving and had 17 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, and the Boston Celtics remained hot with an easy 126-94 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

The Celtics took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Hornets, 35-16, to push a four-point halftime lead to 23. They went on to lead by as many as 35 points in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics (32-19) have won seven of their past eight games. They are also now 24-4 over the past two seasons when playing without Irving, who missed his third game in the past week with a strained left hip.

Jaylen Brown came off the bench to lead the Celtics with 24 points. The Celtics also got 20 points from Jayson Tatum, 15 from Marcus Morris, 14 from Al Horford, and 12 from Gordon Hayward. The Celtics shot 55.6 percent from the field.

Kemba Walker led the Hornets (24-26) with 21 points, although he didn't play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. It was Walker's best game since being named as a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game.

The Hornets also got 16 points from Malik Monk, 13 points from Nicolas Batum and 10 from Marvin Williams.

The Hornets were without Tony Parker, who has an ankle injury. They have been without Cody Zeller (fractured hand) for the past 13 games, but Zeller worked out before the game and his return is expected soon.

The Celtics led, 35-28, after one quarter and 63-59 at halftime, then pushed the lead to 98-75 after three quarters.

The Celtics and Hornets split two previous games this season. The Hornets won in Charlotte, 117-112, on November 19, then the Celtics won, 119-103, in Boston on December 23.

The Celtics closed out a five-game homestand. They play the Knicks at New York on Friday. The Hornets will return home to host Memphis on Friday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Bucks storm back to hold off Hornets

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half for a 108-99 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

The Bucks went on an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter to get back into the game, then wound up outscoring the Hornets 13-3 in the final five minutes.

Milwaukee won its sixth straight and improved its home record to 22-4. The Bucks continue to have the best record in the NBA at 35-12.

The Bucks' late surge allowed them to shoot 46.1 percent from the field on a night when they struggled for three quarters. They finished 6-for-31 from 3-point range (19.4 percent).

Antetokounmpo scored 14 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter. His dunk gave the Bucks the lead for good at 97-96 with 4:58 remaining, then Eric Bledsoe hit a drive and Khris Middleton drilled a 3-pointer moments later to push the lead to 102-96.

Malcolm Brogdon added 19 points for the Bucks. Bledsoe scored 18 and Middleton 15.

The Hornets had won four of their previous five games. They played with the lead all night, ahead 27-22 after one quarter, 54-52 at halftime and 87-76 after three quarters. Charlotte led 92-80 when the Bucks went on their 11-0 surge to get back into the game.

Nicolas Batum led the Hornets with 19 points. Jeremy Lamb and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 16 each, Marvin Williams scored 13, and Kemba Walker was held to 10, which is 15 under his season scoring average.

Walker, in his first game since being named a starter in the upcoming All-Star Game, left with 2:06 remaining after getting hurt in a scrum for a loose ball.

The Bucks will now head out on a five-game road trip, starting on Sunday at Oklahoma City. The Hornets were closing out a three-game road trip and will return home to host New York on Monday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LeBron’s triple-double helps Lakers crush Hornets

LeBron James notched a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists before sitting out the entire fourth quarter, and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers rolled to an easy 128-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

The Lakers led by as many as 16 in the first half, then turned the game into a rout with a 19-2 surge early in the third quarter. They led by as many as 36 in the second half.

For James, it was the continuation of a personal domination over teams from Charlotte. James now has a record of 47-6 against the Hornets and Bobcats during his 16-year career with the Lakers, Cleveland and Miami.

Lonzo Ball also enjoyed a triple-double for the Lakers with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The Lakers also got 19 points from JaVale McGee, 14 from Kyle Kuzma and 12 from Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.

Kemba Walker was held to a season-low four points for the Hornets on 2-of-14 shooting from the field. Malik Monk led the Hornets with 19 points and Miles Bridges scored 17. Jeremy Lamb added 12 and Willy Hernangomez 11.

The Lakers led 32-22 after one quarter and 57-50 at halftime. Then came the 19-2 run early in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 80-56, and they went on to lead 97-67 after three quarters. The Lakers outscored Charlotte 40-17 in the third.

The Lakers (18-11) have now won seven of their last 10. The Hornets (14-15) completed a horrid weekend after blowing a 21-point lead in an overtime loss to the New York Knicks on Friday.

The Lakers were playing the second game of a four-game road trip. They will play against the Wizards at Washington on Sunday.

The Hornets were playing the third game of a five-game homestand. They will be off until Wednesday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers

--Field Level Media

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Hawks edge Hornets to end 10-game skid

Guard Kent Bazemore scored 20 points, including the go-ahead basket with 4.6 seconds remaining, to give Atlanta a 124-123 win over visiting Charlotte, ending the Hawks' 10-game losing streak.

Charlotte had one final chance to win, but Kemba Walker's jumper was swatted away by John Collins with 1.1 seconds remaining.

Walker had come to life in the fourth quarter and scored seven of his 22 points in the final three minutes. He gave the Hornets the lead on a jumper with 48.2 seconds, and Atlanta appeared finished after Trae Young missed a driving layup and the Hornets got the rebound.

But the Hornets turned it back over to Atlanta on a 24-second violation. That gave the Hawks new life, and Bazemore dropped in the contested drive.

Atlanta also got 23 points and 11 rebounds from Collins, 18 points and five assists from Young and 16 points, six rebounds and six assists from DeAndre' Bembry.

Charlotte was led by Malik Monk with 26 points, and former Hawk Marvin Williams finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Charlotte got off to a fast start and appeared to be on its way to an easy victory by taking a 43-32 lead after the first quarter, but the Hawks battled back and cut the Hornets' margin to 66-65 at the half.

Atlanta, which has struggled mightily in the third quarter, actually surged ahead at that time and led 100-97.

Walker gave the Hornets the lead when he drained a 3-pointer to put the Hornets ahead 119-118 with 2:34 left in the game, but Bazemore answered with a driving layup on a nice pass from Collins to put Atlanta back up 120-119.

The Hornets beat the Hawks 113-102 on Nov. 6 to start Atlanta on its 10-game losing streak. The Hawks had not won since Nov. 3, but were able to break through on the final game of a four-game homestand.

Atlanta plays again on Tuesday at Miami, the first of a three-game road trip. Charlotte returns home Monday for a game against Milwaukee.

source: news.abs-cbn.com