TheBriaCharlotte Hornets were looking to improve to 2-0 on the season as they squared off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, but to get the win, they’re going to have to do so short-handed. Hornets wing Brandon Miller suffered a shoulder injury against the 76ers and was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the game, the team announced.
The injury to Brandon Miller occurred early in the second quarter when the Hornets wing was attempting to box out 76ers guard Quentin Grimes. Miller came away grabbing at his arm and was taken to the locker room. He finished with four points and one assists in nine minutes.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Miller is one of the NBA’s most intriguing young players. He had a very strong rookie season with the Hornets in 2023-24, finishing third in the league’s Rookie of the Year voting. He was off to a good start to last season, before suffering a wrist injury that caused him to be sidelined for the remainder of the year.
Last season Miller appeared in only 27 games at a little over 34 minutes per game. He was averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 40.3 percent shooting from the field, 35.5 percent shooting from the three-point line and 86.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
During the Hornets’ opening night win against the Brooklyn Nets, Miller finished with 25 points, seven assists, one steal and one blocked shot in 31 minutes of play. He shot 42.1 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free-throw line.
As of publication, the Hornets held a slim lead over the 76ers about midway through the third quarter. LaMelo Ball and Collin Sexton were leading the way with 17 and 16 points, respectively, while Pat Connaughton and Kob Knueppel had ten points each off the bench.
