Hornets vs. Rockets Recap: The good, the bad and the LaMelo Ball

A huge fourth quarter gave Charlotte its second win in as many days as the Hornets picked up a 119-94 victory.

A huge fourth quarter gave Charlotte its second win in as many days as the Hornets picked up a 119-94 victory.

With the two sides tied at 87-87 late in the third quarter, a Malik Monk 3-pointer to close the period kickstarted a 22-1 run by the hosts that blew the game wide open, resulting in the benches being emptied late in the fourth by both sides.

Despite nine lead changes on the night, Charlotte never trailed from the 3:38 mark of the second quarter on. LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward each had 15 first-half points and the Rockets’, who started the game on fire from range, cooled off in the second half while the Hornets kept coming.

Eventually, Charlotte would blow the game open with Ball leading the way with his game-high 24 points. Hayward and Miles Bridges each added 19 and Terry Rozier chipped in 15. Monk added 14 off the bench.