The Charlotte Hornets took care of business Monday night, defeating the Washington Wizards (110-103) and earning their second win in the last three days. With the victory, Charlotte improves to 3-1 on the season while the Wizards, their Southeast division rival, falls to 2-2 on the year. Brandon Miller stole the show, dropping a career-high 39 points on 15-for-28 shooting, including 5-for-10 shooting from 3-point range, to go along with six rebounds, one assist, three steals and two blocks. Naz Reid reached another gear in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the final frame.
For Washington, they had a trio of scorers to finish with 20 or more points. Anthony Davis was the strongest, finishing the contest with 29 points, 10 rebounds
and one steal on 50% shooting from beyond the arc, including two clutch 3-pointers during the Wizards' late comeback attempt. Trae Young also finished with a double-double (22 points, 10 assists and six rebounds), while Kyshawn George scored 20 points on an efficient 8-for-14 mark from the field. Prior to Charlotte's matchup against Detroit Wednesday, here are three things to take away from the victory.
3. Tidjane Salaun's energy
A former No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Salaun has had a slow start to his NBA career. That said, his improvements on the defensive end have been notable through the first four games of the season. Charlotte's head coach, Charles Lee, spoke about this improvement postgame, saying, "Because he works so hard, he cares so much; we knew he was going to make progress." After playing solid defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo Saturday, Salaun finished with the fourth-highest plus-minus for the Hornets Wednesday against the Wizards.
2. Brandon Miller's statement game
Through the first three games of the season, Miller's shooting numbers were uncharacteristically poor, shooting 29.7% from the field and 20% from 3-point range. That all changed Monday, as the former No. 2 overall pick scored a career-high mark (39 points) on 53.5% shooting from the field and 50% shooting from 3-point range. He also proved his worth on the defensive end, tallying three steals and two blocks.
1. Moussa Diabate's offensive rebounding
Although Miller's 39 points will take the headlines, Moussa Diabate's effort and tenacity were the biggest takeaways from Monday's win. In what ended as a seven-point victory for the Hornets, Charlotte scored 26 second-chance points, and Diabate was a large reason why. Last year's NBA Hustle Award winner posted 17 rebounds and astonishingly, 11 of them came on the offensive glass. Unsurprisingly, Diabate now leads the association in offensive rebounds per game, at 5.5 per contest.
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 3 things from Charlotte's 110-103 victory against Washington
