Nick Richards recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and the Charlotte Hornets broke a 15-game skid in Portland with a 93-80 victory over the Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
Miles Bridges added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Brandon Miller scored 17 points as Charlotte defeated the Trail Blazers in Portland for the first time since March 29, 2008. The franchise was known as the Bobcats when it last won in the Rose City.
Cody Martin had 11 points and 10 assists and Vasilije Micic also scored 11 points as the Hornets won for the fifth time in their past six games.
Deandre Ayton recorded 26 points and 19 rebounds for Portland, which lost its eighth consecutive game. Jerami Grant added 15 points and Anfernee Simons had 10 but was just 4 of 21 from the field.
Charlotte shot 49.3 percent from the field, including 7 of 24 from 3-point range.
The Trail Blazers connected on just 34.7 percent of their attempts and were a measly 3 of 32 (9.4 percent) from behind the arc. Simons missed all eight of his 3-point attempts.
Portland trailed most of the game but crept within 73-68 on a basket by Simons with 8:40 left.
But the Trail Blazers went more than five minutes without scoreless while the Hornets rattled off 16 straight points. Bridges had six points during the run, including the basket to cap it and make it 89-68 with 3:47 remaining en route to sealing the long-awaited victory.
Charlotte led 62-46 after a basket by Bridges with 4:46 left in the third quarter.
Portland responded with a 13-5 run and moved within eight on Jabari Walker’s top-in with 1:16 left in the period. The Hornets led 70-59 entering the final stanza.
Miller scored 11 first-half points and Bridges had 10 as Charlotte led 47-34 at the break.
Ayton tallied 12 in the half and Grant added 11 for Portland, which shot just 26 percent from the field. Simons made just 1 of 13 shots while scoring four first-half points.
The Hornets scored the final seven points of the opening quarter to hold a 24-18 lead. Charlotte scored 16 of the first 22 points in the second quarter to open up a 40-24 lead on Martin’s layup with 3:58 left in the half.
–Field Level Media
