Rookie Brandon Miller continued a hot streak and helped the Charlotte Hornets mount a furious fourth-quarter comeback on Monday to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Miller produced 27 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in the 128-125 victory on the road. He went 11-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, in 29 minutes as the Hornets picked up their second win in three games.
The second pick registered his third straight 20-point game with the performance. He is one of three rookies this season to score at least 20 points in three consecutive games, joining Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.
“He is playing great,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “He would have had more, but he got into foul trouble, which limited his minutes. Once we were within five or six in the first half, we didn’t put him back in. He also made two 3s against the zone when we were kind of teetering (down) 14, 15 (points), but he makes big shots anyway.”
Brandon Miller is the real deal. https://t.co/EzDdWIttZ5 pic.twitter.com/OPhVfmA6CF
— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) January 23, 2024
Miller scored seven points in the fourth quarter as the Hornets outscored the Timberwolves 36-18 down the stretch. They caught fire in the final period to thwart a historic performance from Karl-Anthony Towns, who had a franchise-record 62 points.
The 21-year-old is averaging 24.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one steal on 42.9% shooting from 3-point range over his last three games. On the strength of that stretch, Miller is up to third in rookie scoring (14.9) and second in 3s (73) on the season.
Miller has dealt with various injuries throughout the season that have prevented any consistent run. However, he looks to be settling in now and credits a great deal of his success to his teammates.
“I think my teammates are building my energy and boosting my confidence every night,” Miller said. “Just going out there and playing with the most confidence that we can to pull out a (win) against a tough crowd and great team.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650261254]