Trail Blazers Vs Hornets: Hornets win 109-93 as Coby White scores 20 in home debut
The trail blazers vs hornets matchup ended with Charlotte beating Portland 109-93 on Saturday, extending the Hornets’ winning streak to four games and marking Coby White’s home debut for his new team. The victory matters as Charlotte continued a surge that has them inside play-in range and set up a tough early-week slate against Dallas and Boston.
Trail Blazers Vs Hornets: White’s home debut, trade background and minutes progression
Coby White made his home debut for the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday at the Spectrum Center after being acquired from the Chicago Bulls at the NBA trade deadline; it was his third game for his new team. He came off the bench and scored 20 points, entering the game with 4: 58 remaining in the first quarter when he subbed in for LaMelo Ball. White had been sidelined for three weeks with a calf injury prior to making his Hornets debut on Tuesday against his former team; Charlotte knew about that injury when it traded for him and decided to hold him out until after the All-Star break.
Head coach Charles Lee worked White into the rotation: White played 16 and 17 minutes in his first two games with Charlotte and increased to 21 minutes against Portland.
Brandon Miller, first-quarter surge and supporting cast
By the time White checked in Saturday the Hornets were already ahead 20-10, with Brandon Miller scoring 7 points early. White hit his first shot, a 3-pointer, and Charlotte closed the first quarter leading 29-17. Miller finished as the game’s leading scorer with 26 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while shooting 6-of-12 on 3s. LaMelo Ball added 15 points and 8 assists, and Miles Bridges contributed 14 points, 8 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals. Altogether, six Hornets scored in double figures in the 109-93 win.
Rebounds, threes and free throws that tilted the game
The rebounding and 3-point contrast defined the game: Charlotte made 16 threes at 38 percent while Portland made 11 threes at 23 percent. The teams’ three-point attempts read 47 for Portland and 43 for Charlotte. The Hornets also dominated the glass, collecting 55 rebounds to Portland’s 39, including 20 offensive rebounds to Portland’s 11. Moussa Diabate was the leading contributor for the winners with 11, while Donovan Clingan claimed 8 for the Blazers.
Free-throw shooting was uneven: Portland made 12 of 19 free throws (63 percent) while Charlotte shot 68 percent from the line.
Portland’s box score lines and rotation decisions
Jrue Holiday paced the Blazers with 25 points and played 33 minutes, finishing with 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers and a steal. Jerami Grant added 21 points and logged 32 minutes. Scoot Henderson played 23 minutes and produced 8 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 turnovers. The Blazers now hop to Atlanta for the second half of a back-to-back; that game is scheduled for 3: 00 PM Pacific.
Standings, schedule and coach and player reaction
Charlotte has now won four straight games and 16 of its past 20 to improve to 30-31, currently holding the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings — a position that would put them in the NBA play-in tournament — and sitting three games behind the Orlando Magic for the No. 7 seed. The Hornets are off until Tuesday, when they host the Dallas Mavericks for the first end of a back-to-back; on Wednesday they will face the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in what could be a playoff preview.
Lee and his players have noticed the growing support. Lee told Rod Moore that he feels the fans’ excitement and support and that the arena has a different buzz at tip-off during the starting lineups. "And so we appreciate it, " he added. "We want more of it and we’ve got to make sure that we give them something to be able to come out, and support, and cheer for it and be proud of. "
Coby White also had a reunion element: he played for Roy Williams at North Carolina in the 2018-19 season and said he talked with Williams on Friday before meeting him during pregame warmups. Williams was in attendance Saturday before heading to Chapel Hill for the Tar Heels' home game versus Virginia Tech. White told reporters, "He didn’t tell me that he was going to be courtside, though. He’s been checking in on me every step of the way. " He called Williams "a legendary coach, " said their relationship is "bigger than basketball, " and said Williams "has helped me through a lot of tough. "
