Spurs vs. Hornets: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
The Charlotte Hornets scored seven points in the first quarter Monday night, but they erased that 21-point deficit and defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 91-88, at Time Warner Cable Arena in North Carolina.
Those seven points were the fewest scored by any team in the first quarter this year, per ESPN Stats & Info, but the Hornets swarmed back thanks to a 29-point effort off the bench by Jeremy Lin, with 15 of those coming in the fourth quarter.
Charlotte trailed 88-87 after a Kawhi Leonard tip-in with one minute, 13 seconds remaining, but Lin drilled a mid-range jumper with 48 seconds left to give the Hornets a one-point lead. After Leonard missed a three-pointer, Lin made two more free throws to give Charlotte a three-point lead.
Patty Mills' and Danny Green's three-point attempts were both off the mark, and the Hornets completed a comeback that hasn't happened often, per SportsCenter:
After the game, Lin received the proper celebratory water shower from Nicolas Batum, as shown by The Cauldron:
"Jeremy Lin gets the ice water shower from Nic Batum after the Hornets beat the Spurs https://t.co/yMXWa7ef4O
— The Cauldron (ICYMI) (@CauldronICYMI) March 22, 2016"
While the Hornets had a historic comeback, the Spurs also had a historic collapse, per ESPN Stats & Info:
The Spurs once led by 23 points, and that tied for the second-largest blown lead in the league this season, per NBA on ESPN. Just 48 hours after defeating the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio seemed primed to make a late charge for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but those chances have diminished, per ESPN San Antonio:
Charlotte, meanwhile, has now won 10 of its last 12 games and is now a half-game out of the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe thinks the Hornets now should be considered contenders in the East:
This loss doesn't change the Spurs' standing in the Western Conference, but to lose this game after beating the Warriors two nights prior while holding a 23-point lead Monday is not a good look. Whether it was the Spurs taking their foot off the gas or just the Hornets clamping down defensively, it's the second straight contest a good defense has held San Antonio to fewer than 90 points, and that's cause for concern.
The Hornets, meanwhile, appear to be a serious threat in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They were able to get this win despite Kemba Walker shooting 2-of-11 and Al Jefferson going 1-of-9. Charlotte showed it can win games without those two having good nights, and that's a good sign for the Hornets heading into the playoffs.
Postgame Reaction
The Hornets snapped their 11-game losing streak to the Spurs with this victory, and Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford said it took the right mindset to get the win.
“You’re looking at three Hall of Famers and a guy who might be third or fourth in the MVP voting in [LaMarcus] Aldridge," Clifford said, per Rick Bonnell of the News & Observer. "It starts with the having the right attitude of competing.”
A half-game separates Nos. 3 through 6 in the Eastern Conference, so Lin understood how important this win was for Charlotte when the Hornets close the year with nine of their last 12 games on the road.
“To come out here and get this won is a huge boost for us," Lin said, per Bonnell. "But we have got to come out and take care of business tomorrow (in Brooklyn).”
One game after the biggest win of the Spurs' season, San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich was gracious in defeat and gave much credit to Lin for his play.
"He was spectacular," Popovich said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We couldn't stop him all night. He had a great night. He was wonderful."
