Washington Wizards 103–110 Charlotte Hornets: match recap

Match recap

Brandon Miller erupted for 39 points and Moussa Diabate dominated the glass with 17 rebounds as Charlotte built a sizable lead and held off a late Washington surge to win 110-103. Despite Anthony Davis's 29-point, 10-rebound double-double and a 22-point, 10-assist triple-double from Trae Young, the Wizards couldn't overcome the Hornets' 13-rebound advantage on the boards.

Charlotte jumped out to an early lead behind Miller's hot shooting — he knocked down 5 of 10 from deep — and a rebounding clinic by Diabate and Naz Reid (12 boards). The Hornets controlled the paint and second-chance points, amassing a 54-41 rebounding advantage. Washington, led by Davis and Young, fired at a slightly higher effective field goal percentage (+2 eFG%) and stayed within striking distance, but Charlotte's bench outscored the Wizards' reserves 29-17, a decisive margin that sustained the Hornets' lead. A late Washington run cut the deficit to single digits, but Miller answered with timely buckets and Charlotte closed it out at the free throw line.

Key factors

• Charlotte dominated the glass 54-41, generating extra possessions that offset a slightly lower shooting efficiency.
• Brandon Miller's 39-point explosion on 10-18 shooting, including 5 three-pointers, provided a scoring punch Washington couldn't match.
• The Hornets' bench outscored Washington's 29-17, a 12-point gap that proved crucial in a seven-point game.

The Analyst's take

For Washington, the pairing of Young and Davis produced elite offensive numbers, but without consistent defensive rebounding and bench production, close games like this will continue to slip away. Charlotte's formula of Miller's scoring plus frontcourt rebounding is a dangerous mix if they can stay healthy.