Gordon Hayward scored 24 points to lead four Charlotte players who reached the 20-point mark in the Hornets’ 119-116 victory against the visiting Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Miles Bridges had 22 points, Terry Rozier notched 21 points and Brandon Miller had 20 points as the Hornets won for just the second time in their past six games.
Nick Richards posted 15 points off the Charlotte bench, and reserve P.J. Washington had 11 points. Rozier dished out 13 assists.
Scottie Barnes amassed 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists but missed a key late free throw for the Raptors, who lost for the fifth time in a six-game stretch. Pascal Siakam had 25 points, Precious Achiuwa added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and O.G. Anunoby had 11 points.
The Raptors trailed by 13 after three quarters, and they used a 17-4 run that took less than four minutes in the fourth to wipe out an eight-point deficit. Barnes had the first and last baskets in that spurt.
An 8-2 surge put Charlotte up 104-103 with 4:23 to go.
Rozier made a long 2-point jumper with 22 seconds left to give the Hornets a 117-114 lead. Barnes went to the free-throw line for three attempts at the eight-second mark but made only the last two. Rozier hit two foul shots at the other end for a three-point margin.
Barnes missed a shot just before the buzzer.
Barnes shot 12-for-18 and Siakam, who averaged 30.3 points in four victories vs. Charlotte last season, made 11 of 15 shots from the field.
The Hornets shot 55.7 percent from the field and made 18 of 20 free throws.
Charlotte held a 15-point lead in the final 30 seconds of the third quarter, but the Raptors clearly had a run in them.
After Toronto surged to the lead, it set up a back-and-forth finishing stretch.
Hayward scored five straight points in a 24-second span as the Hornets went ahead 109-106. On its next two possessions, Charlotte answered Toronto baskets with 3-pointers by Bridges and Miller.
The Hornets led 66-54 at halftime, shooting 61 percent from the field, with Washington 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Siakam was the top first-half scorer with 16 points, but the Raptors committed 11 first-half turnovers.
Charlotte broke out to a 25-12 lead, with the opening burst aided by two 3-pointers from Miller.
–Field Level Media
