Hornets Gift Fans an Early Christmas Present with Electric Team Win
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 25 – The legs were heavy, the roster was thinned by injury, and for the first twelve minutes, the rim looked as small as a thimble. Coming off a loss to Cleveland just 24 hours prior, the Charlotte Hornets could have easily folded against the Washington Wizards. Instead, they delivered an explosive fourth-quarter performance that blew the roof off the Spectrum Center, securing a 126-109 victory and a milestone the franchise hasn’t touched in four years.
The evening didn’t start with fireworks. Missing big men Ryan Kalkbrenner and Mason Plumlee, the Hornets struggled to find a rhythm early, shooting a dismal 9-of-29 from the field in the first quarter. It was Moussa Diabate who kept the heartbeat going, crashing the glass for eight early rebounds to ensure the game didn’t slip away before it truly began.
The turning point came not from a single star, but from a collective surge. While the second quarter saw the offense wake up with a 38-point outburst, the real separation happened in the final frame. The Hornets orchestrated a blistering 16-4 run late in the fourth, highlighted by the team’s young guns. Rookie Kon Knueppel shook off a slow start to drain multiple threes, and Brandon Miller joined the barrage from deep. The sequence reached its crescendo with an alley-oop from LaMelo Ball to Miles Bridges—a play that effectively ended the Wizards’ hopes and brought the Charlotte crowd to its feet.
This win represents more than just a notch in the standings; it marks a psychological breakthrough. By improving to 10-20, the Hornets have won 10 games before Christmas for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
Perhaps more encouraging for the coaching staff is how they won. In a league often dominated by isolation scoring, Charlotte played a brand of unselfish “Hornets basketball” that feels sustainable. Eight different players scored in double figures, they dished out 35 assists on 42 made baskets, and committed a rare low of just four turnovers. With guard Collin Sexton returning to the lineup and the team showing resilience without their primary centers, the potential for this squad when fully healthy is becoming the season’s most intriguing subplot.
“Hornets Basketball”
The team’s identity was on full display Tuesday night. The stat line tells the story of a cohesive unit: LaMelo Ball (23 points, 9 assists) and Brandon Miller (20 points) led the way, but the depth was the difference. Moussa Diabate was a force in the paint with 18 rebounds, while Knueppel exploded for 15 second-half points.
The Hornets head into the holiday break with momentum and a blueprint for success. If they can replicate this level of ball movement and defensive rebounding when the calendar flips to 2026, the second half of the season could look very different from the first.
