Atlanta’s Clint Capela posted his team-leading 11th double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds and the Hawks beat the visiting Charlotte Hornets 115-105 on Saturday for their fourth straight win.
Capela was 10-for-11 from the field and blocked two shots to help the Hawks draw to within one win of the .500 mark through 17 games.
The Hawks improved to 7-1 at home and have won 14 straight home games against Eastern Conference opponents, one shy of matching the franchise record.
Atlanta had five players in double figures, with Trae Young getting 19 points and nine assists, Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter both scoring 17, Danilo Gallinari netted 16 and John Collins added 15.
Charlotte’s Miles Bridges scored a career-high 35 points on 15 of 28 shooting, with 10 rebounds and three assists. LaMelo Ball had a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, and Cody Martin came off the bench to get 14 points and eight rebounds.
The loss ended Charlotte’s five-game winning streak. The Hornets have split three back-to-backs and been swept once. They are 0-4 in the second game of that situation.
After finishing the first quarter with a 25-21 lead, the Hawks used their second unit to open a double-digit lead, eventually leading by as many as 17. Atlanta led 60-48 at halftime and maintained the 12-point lead to take an 89-77 advantage into the fourth quarter.
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Atlanta had to survive a fourth-quarter run, however. Charlotte made it a four-point game when Bridges scored on a layup with 1:18 remaining. But the Hawks got 3-pointers from Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish to make it 112-103 with 38.9 seconds remaining, and Young iced it with a pair of free throws.
It was the first meeting between the clubs this season. Charlotte won last year’s series 2-1.
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Charlotte plays the second leg of its three-game trip on Monday at Washington. The Hawks complete their five-game homestand on Monday against Oklahoma City.
–Field Level Media