GAMENOTES: Regular Season Game #54 Charlotte Hornets (14-39) at Denver Nuggets (36-19) - February 20th, 2025

Miles drops 36 points on a night with plenty of Hornets grit but the Nuggets remember they are the Nuggets in the 4th quarter

FINAL

Charlotte Hornets 115 (14-40) - Denver Nuggets 129 (37-19)

THE BOXSCORE

WHY DID THEY LOSE? (AND OTHER IMPORTANT STORIES)

• The Hornets showed really great fight, ball movement, man movement and energy on defense, particularly on the 2nd night of a traveling back to back, in Denver, without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams. BUT…Denver didn’t look quite as hungover as the Lakers did just a night ago. They outlasted a big Hornets run in the 3rd led by 18 points from Miles Bridges. Denver outscored Charlotte 30-19 in the 4th and held them to 2 points until midway through the quarter.

  • Miles Bridges finished with 36 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists in 33+ minutes. He did it all and was one of the major beneficiaries of Jokic (and really the Nuggets at large) not giving one damn about defense.

• Jamal Murray was sensational from every area of the floor offensively. The Hornets tried a few different matchups and coverages but he was one a heater and has been over the past few weeks.

• Hornets typically do a good job keeping the opposing team off the boards but the Nuggets are big and their guards are active. Nuggets had 17 2nd chance points on 16 OREB.

• The Hornets moved the basketball well but don’t let the 115 fool you, the Nuggets are no good, very bad at defense particularly against teams they know they can outscore. Bridges, NSJ, Baugh and even Josh Green had their free run of the paint and midrange until the 4th quarter. The rim numbers were bad but that’s mostly because the C squad missed a thousand bunnies in the 4th

  • After taking 53 3PA against LAL (Hi LaMelo), they were limited (or limited themselves) to 37 and hit 40.5% of them thanks mostly to Bridges and Green.

• Other standouts included Damion Baugh who got some burn with LaMelo out on injury management. Baugh was 2nd in game score with 14 points, 6 assists and 2 steals on 6 of 7 shooting. I’m really excited by this guy. I think the Hornets may have a legit G-League find here. He’s got size, knows how to finish at the rim and a swagger when he has the ball in his hands.

• Josh Green rebounded from one of his worst offensive games of the season at LAL. He had 19 points on 13 shot attempts. They obviously needed him to be more aggressive with so many guys out but you’d like to see him do this more often when Ball is healthy.

• Moussa returned to the lineup with Mark Williams out on injury management but Jusuf Nurkic got the start. Moussa has been a great energy guy but Charles Lee has not been shy about what he thinks of Nurkic’s size and skill at the position and what that opens up for the Hornets. He flirted with a triple double in this game (9-10-7) and may have gotten in if not for some early foul trouble.

  • Nurkic can theoretically shoot but it’s all been theoretical to this point. He took too many in this game. He was much better in his debut when he was forcing the issue in the paint.

NEWS AND NOTES

• LaMelo and Mark Williams are both out for injury management issues on the 2nd night of a tough back to back traveling to Denver

• Full Injury List

  • LaMelo Ball (R Ankle - Injury Management) is out.

  • DaQuan Jeffries (R Knee soreness) is out.

  • Tre Mann (Disc) is out.

  • Brandon Miller (R Wrist) is out.

  • Josh Okogie (L Hamstring) is out.

  • Grant Williams (R ACL) is out.

  • Mark Williams (Return to Competition Conditioning) is out.

• Mark Williams’ agent Jeff Schwartz released a statement today on the trade that didn’t happen with the Lakers: