Charlotte Hornets rookie Cody Martin recorded 12 points and five rebounds Tuesday night in his first career NBA start in a losing effort against the Houston Rockets.
The second-round pick finished just one point shy of tying his career-high of 13 points, set on Monday night against the Orlando Magic. Martin shot 5-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, in a season-high 36 minutes of work.
Martin briefly left the game after catching an elbow to the face from teammate Cody Zeller. He suffered a bloody nose but would eventually return to finish out the remainder of the fourth quarter after a brief trip back to the locker room.
How about this vision from Cody Martin? Rookie two-man game w/ shot clock running down. pic.twitter.com/KYsJrJbfPZ
— Spencer Percy (@QCHspencer) February 5, 2020
Martin proved to be a solid option for the Hornets during his time on the floor. On one possession, he flashed off some of his court vision after finding rookie teammate P.J. Washington on a nice pass off of a pick-and-roll situation.
With the Hornets in a clear rebuilding effort, Martin may have played himself into a larger role moving forward as the organization continues to evaluate its younger talent.
The Hornets play next on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks.
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