Gordon Hayward sets a career-high in points, leads Hornets to road win over Hawks

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Gordon Hayward sets a career-high in points, leads Hornets to road win over Hawks

Rick Bonnell

Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 44 points, as the Charlotte Hornets held off the Atlanta Hawks 102-94 at State Farm Arena.

Hayward signed a four-year, $120 million contract, becoming the Hornets’ top free-agent acquisition since one-time All-NBA center Al Jefferson. Hayward’s prior career high was 39.

The Hornets led by as many as 24 points, only to lose all that lead, with the Hawks pulling ahead in the fourth quarter. This broke a three-game losing streak for the Hornets, who improved to 3-5.

Hayward, boxscore filler

The Hornets made a huge financial commitment to small forward Hayward to provide efficiency and versatility. On Thursday, his first half epitomized that.

In 19 minutes, he scored or assisted on 11 of Charlotte’s 19 field goals. He made 4-of-7 attempts from 3-point range, but he wasn’t just a shooter. By halftime, he had three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Hayward’s 25 points tied the most he has ever scored in an NBA half.

Over his prior NBA career, Hayward thrived on the mid-range shot with Utah and Boston. That shot doesn’t have great value in this analytics-driven 3s-and-rim NBA culture. Coach James Borrego is coaxing Hayward to look for more 3s, but he also understands not to coach away one of the things that makes Hayward so productive.

Fast start

The Hornets had an uncommonly fast start Thursday, never trailing in the first quarter and leading by as much as 16.

Charlotte has been plagued by slow starts this season, and that has related to the starting unit’s poor offensive efficiency. The Hornets didn’t shoot great in the first quarter, but they defended tremendously. Atlanta scored just 11 first-quarter points, shooting 1-of-10 from 3-point range. The Hawks were averaging 33 points in the first quarter, best in the NBA.

Disrupting Trae Young

A big part of the Hornets’ first-half success was throwing off Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young. He scored just two points in the first half and committed seven turnovers.

By halftime, the Hornets had two turnovers to the Hawks’ 10. Charlotte converted those Atlanta turnovers into 14 points.

Rotation tweaks

Borrego said after practice Tuesday that he would make some rotation tweaks, but didn’t anticipate changing any starters.

On Wednesday, he moved Cody Martin back into the rotation. Neither Jalen McDaniels, who had played regularly this season, nor Malik Monk, who got his first action Monday in Philadelphia, played in the first three quarters.

Sad day

Borrego assembled his players before the game to give them a chance to share feelings regarding the riot in Washington on Thursday at the U.S. Capitol Building. Borrego said pregame it felt odd to be playing on such a sad day, that he wished he could have been at home with his family helping his children process what they were seeing.

“It’s disheartening. It’s disappointing. It’s embarrassing for our country to be at this point,” Borrego said of the violence and destruction. “It’s not the country I want my kids to inherit.”

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