Miller Fuels Charlotte’s Momentum as Hornets Set Franchise Mark with 8th Straight Road Win

Why this matters now: Charlotte’s road form has shifted into a clear performance trend, and miller was a central piece of the surge that turned a tight game at halftime into a rout. That momentum — driven by hot perimeter shooting and a dominant third quarter — created a new franchise benchmark and left Chicago reeling on the other end of the floor on Tuesday night.

Market/performance shift: what an eighth straight road victory changes for Charlotte

Charlotte’s 131-99 victory over Chicago gave the Hornets a team record eighth straight road win, signaling a sustained uptick in effectiveness away from home. The Hornets shot 51. 6% from the field and made 25 of 57 three-point attempts, one shy of the team record, turning road environments into scoring opportunities rather than obstacles.

Miller and Knueppel: performances that powered the win

Brandon Miller scored 23 points while Kon Knueppel added 21 in the rout. miller hit five 3-pointers in the game; later description in the third-quarter run credits his scoring for helping cap the decisive stretch. Knueppel finished with three 3-pointers on six attempts and raised his long-range total to 201 for the season, becoming the fastest player to reach 200 3s in just his 58th game.

How the third quarter flipped the game

Charlotte outscored Chicago 42-16 in the third quarter, a burst that included a decisive 22-2 run. Knueppel hit back-to-back 3s midway through the quarter and scored 10 straight points to give the Hornets a 14-point lead; Miller followed by hitting his next three shots, including one of his five 3-pointers, to push the margin to 88-65 and cap the run that put Charlotte firmly in control.

Chicago’s struggles, standout scoring and turnovers

Matas Buzelis scored a career-high 32 points for Chicago, but the Bulls were hurt by 19 turnovers in the game. Patrick Williams and Guerschon Yabusele each added 11 points as Chicago’s offensive evening was undermined repeatedly by giveaways, contributing to a lopsided final score.

Debut, returns and roster context that shaped the night

Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate were both in the starting lineup after sitting out four games for their roles in a fight against Detroit on Feb. 9; Bridges had 16 points in his return. LaMelo Ball scored 16 points, and Charlotte led 56-55 at the half after falling behind by nine midway through the second quarter.

Coby White made his Hornets debut against the team that dealt him at the trade deadline earlier this month. He entered midway through the first quarter, scored 10 points in 15: 33, and received a short video tribute while being welcomed back to Chicago, where he played 6 1/2 seasons.

Here’s the part that matters: the third-quarter surge and sustained long-range accuracy combined to convert a close halftime score into a dominant road win that now stands as a franchise mark.

• Charlotte finished 131-99 over Chicago on Tuesday night, marking the Hornets' eighth straight road win.
• Hornets shot 51. 6% overall and 25-of-57 from three-point range, one shy of the team record.
• Brandon Miller scored 23, Kon Knueppel 21; Knueppel reached 201 season threes in his 58th game.
• Chicago’s Matas Buzelis had a career-high 32, but the Bulls committed 19 turnovers.
• Bridges and Diabate returned after sitting out four games tied to an incident on Feb. 9; Coby White debuted for Charlotte and scored 10 in 15: 33.

It’s easy to overlook, but the bigger signal here is Charlotte’s combination of depth and shooting on the road: the Hornets produced high-volume perimeter scoring while multiple role players stepped in after recent absences, and that balance produced the record run.

Micro timeline: Charlotte led 56-55 at halftime after trailing by nine midway through the second quarter; the Hornets then opened the third with the decisive 22-2 surge. Chicago suffered its 10th straight loss, matching its longest slide since January 2019.

The real question now is how sustainable this level of three-point accuracy and turnover pressure will be on future road trips; early signs in this game point to a meaningful shift, but consistency will determine whether this becomes a longer-term trend.