Kemba Walker signed a new four year contract extension worth $48 M on Tuesday night. On Wednesday night, Walker lived up to his new contract. Walker scored 26 points, including the game tying 3-point shot to force OT and the game winning shot in OT. The Charlotte Hornets overcame a 24 point, second half deficit to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-106 in OT. The twenty-four point comeback was the largest comeback in team history (old Hornets, Bob-kittens, and new Hornets). Hornets fans packed Time Warner Cable arena and helped motivate the players during the 2nd half comeback.
Player of the Game
The player of the game is obviously Kemba Walker. He hit only nine of his twenty-six shots, but he made it count when his team needed him the most. Walker has been known as a clutch player ever since his college days at UCONN. Charlotte needed Walker to keep shooting, however, because the Hornets offense was sluggish all night. Many plays broke down, and Walker was forced to shoot an off-balaned shot with the shot clock running down. This is exactly what happened at the end of OT, but Walker made the shot anyway. Apparently, Walker was so excited last night that he couldn’t sleep.
How excited is @KembaWalker for Opening Night? "I couldn't sleep and woke up early. I'm so ready to go" #hornetscomeback @nba
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 29, 2014
That excitment and energy from Walker carried over into tonight’s game, and he was the Player of the Game.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was very productive tonight.
Well Rounded Player(s) of the Game
The two players I highlighted as potential defensive stoppers proved that they can contribute equally to the offensive side of the ball, as well. Lance Stephenson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist both played extremely well and stuffed the stat sheet.
Stephenson had 7 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. The self claimed #BornReady shooting guard was slowed by a groin injury and battled cramps late in the 4th quarter. However, he was still able to be explosive. (You’ll probably see his 3rd quarter dunk on SportsCenter). Kidd-Gilchrist had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Both players were extremely important to the Hornets’ comeback and hopefully this will boost their offensive confidence for the remainder of the season.
Surprises from the Game
The surprise of the game was definitely the play of the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee only won 15 games last season, and many analysts predicted Milwaukee to struggle again this season. However, starting PG Brandon Knight and the Bucks played extremely well. Knight had 22 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds. He was constantly penetrating into the Hornets defense and getting good looks in the paint. In the 2nd half, Charlotte began collasping on Knight’s drives. Knight adjusted and began kicking the ball outside, which helped the Bucks extend their lead to 24 points in the 3rd quarter.
I was also very impresed with the Hornets PFs Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller. Williams had 19 points and hit eight of his twelve shots. He made some crucial three pointers, too. Williams’ ability to hit the three and stretch the floor will be key for the Hornets as the season progresses. Zeller added 11 points off the bench and made all five of his free throws. I was concerned about these two players and listed the PF position as a weakness for this team before the season started. If the PF position can continue to play this well, the Hornets will be very strong at all five starting positions.
What Still Needs Work
The Hornets defense needs a lot of work after the first game. I thought that defense would not be a problem for this team, but I was wrong, at least for tonight. Milwaukee shot 48.8% from the field and 50% from three for the game. As mentioned above, the Bucks were able to drive past the Hornets defenders and get the ball into the paint. Charlotte needs to work on their man-to-man and help defense. The Bucks are not supposed to be a very good team, which means that Charlotte will face many more tougher tests. While getting a victory is great, the defense needs some serious work to help lead the Hornets back to the playoffs.
But the biggest takeaway from tonight is that….
THE BUZZ IS BACK IN CHARLOTTE!
This article Charlotte Hornets win thriller in OT appeared first on isportsweb by Zachary Chandler